Gifted vs Talented
If you have a child who is exceptionally talented and impresses everyone with skills far beyond his age, you see people labeling him differently as gifted and talented. This is very confusing as there is a difference made in gifted and talented children around the world. Not knowing these differences could seriously jeopardize the growth and development of a bright child as there are activities and games specially designed for those exceptionally gifted and those who happen to be exceptionally talented. Let us find out the difference between gifted and talented in this article.
Gifted
Just a few decades ago, giftedness in a child was measured using intelligence tests as this was a quality that was defined in narrow terms that concerned with intellectual skills and abilities. But today, we know that giftedness is a quality or attribute that is not limited to intellectual abilities alone and a child can be gifted even if he is not so good at studies. We now know that intelligence can take many different manifestations and a child can be gifted if he has exceptional memory, linguistic skills, and musical abilities or can be an extraordinary sportsperson. Kids who excel or have the ability to excel in different skills that can range from academics to even interpersonal skills or creative thinking are today considered as gifted, and their educational needs are fulfilled in a different manner than normal children.
Today, teachers are being trained to spot or identify giftedness in children so as not to let the exceptional ability or talent go to waste. These students are characterized by a quicker and more efficient learning and thinking at a higher level than other kids of their age.
Talented
We often come across teachers remarking a student as being exceptionally talented. What they mean to tell others is that the child is capable of a high level of performance at present. In other words, if a child is talented, he can deliver the performance or exhibit his exceptional skills in a manner that is demonstrable. So a talented kid can play a musical instrument in front of others efficiently, or he can demonstrate his skills in a sport. When a child has above average intellectual, social, interpersonal, creative, or physical skills that can be seen or demonstrated, he is referred to as talented. So a talent is a level of achievement far above other kids of the same age in various fields whether they are art, language, sports, physical, or even social.
What is the difference between Gifted and Talented?
• There is a subtle difference between giftedness and talent as giftedness talks about potential abilities whereas talent talks about present abilities that can be demonstrated or performed.
• Thus, giftedness is outstanding potential whereas talent is an outstanding performance at present.
• It becomes clear then that giftedness is an earlier stage in the development of a child than talent and that there is a journey from giftedness to talent that needs to be covered by a bright child who is above average than his peers in any field whether academic, sports, music, arts, and so on.