TEN MYTHS OF GIFTEDNESS

BY HOLDEN AGUIRRE

I’ve never thought of myself as gifted, and as I contemplate everything I’ve learned, so far, during my internship with THE G WORD, I realize that the very word gifted is often fraught with stereotypes. Many of the myths around giftedness are beliefs I myself have held at one point or another, and as such, I’m sure that many others who are pondering their gifts, or lack thereof, have too.

With that, I’ve been surveying the literature and here are ten myths about giftedness that need further contemplation and discussion:

1) All children are gifted. Inherently, every child has amazing qualities and attributes which make them uniquely talented in a myriad of ways. However, to classify every child as gifted would be doing a great disservice to those children who might benefit from specialized resources meant to cater to the needs of the gifted and talented, an area which was federally defined in the Marland Report in 1971. According to the report, and more recent definitions of giftedness set forth by NAGC, children demonstrating high achievement capabilities in academia, which may require support outside of a traditional classroom setting, normally constitute what is considered gifted.