No Child is Just BORN Gifted: Creating & Developing Unlimited Potential

No
Child
Born
Gifted
Creating & Developing
Unlimited Potential
b y B a r b a r a C l a r k

I listened carefully as my graduate student described the activity he wanted to do for one of his term projects. He was very excited as he told about the research he planned using his baby son as the object of his study. “I have already put pictures of cats around his crib and he looks
at them a lot,” he said. “Yesterday I held the family cat where he could see it and he enjoyed that even more. Today I will print some large cards with ‘CAT’ on them and show them
to him before I hold up the cat, then I’ll show the cat, then the card again. Maybe I’ll try to
paste some of the printed cards next to the cat pictures in the crib. Oh, I got a very colorful
book with pictures and words about cats I can read to him too. What do you

The idea of observing what a little child is capable of is always exciting, as so many of the
limits we thought children had do not seem to be as absolute as we once believed.
The more we study children the more we discover that what is limited are our beliefs,
not the children.

I agreed that my student could work with his son and report on anything that he observed that was interesting in the process he was planning to follow. From his explanation
I assumed the boy was 12 to 18 months old. While some early learning data was becoming available (then in the early 1970s), there was a lot to learn, and it was obvious that the baby and his daddy were enjoying the interactions.

At the end of his project he presented it to the class. Some of the results included
tape recordings of his son saying some of the words he had introduced by cards, pictures, and books. It was not until the end of the report that the stunning conclusion caught everyone by surprise. The baby, who I had thought would be 15 to 21 months old by the end of the study and who was so successfully engaged in early learning, was actually only 6 months old. He was only 3 months old at the beginning. Had I known his age I would have been sure that what occurred
would have been impossible. My beliefs would have limited this student and, more importantly, his son.

What are the limits we should expect in regard to learning and our children? What do we believe they could or should learn and when should they learn it? Is their potential dictated by their genes? Is this advanced and accelerated development we refer to as giftedness the result of
rich experiences and good parenting, or are some children born that way? How can we know? What can we use for a guide?

A r e C h i l d r e n B o r n G i f t e d ?

The potential for giftedness or a high level of intellectual development begins very early in a
child’s life. Studies since the early 1970s consistently show that such development is the result of an interaction between the child’s genetic endowment and a rich and appropriate environment in
which the child grows. No child is born gifted — only with the potential for giftedness. Although all children have amazing potential, only those who are fortunate enough to have opportunities to develop their uniqueness in an environment that responds to their particular patterns and needs will be able to actualize their abilities to high levels. Research in psychology, neuroscience,
linguistics, and early learning can help parents create responsive environments that allow their children to develop their potential to the fullest — that is, to create giftedness.

Gi f t e d n e s s I s a C h a n g i n g C o n c e p t

Giftedness can now be seen as a biologically rooted label for a high level of intelligence, which indicates an advanced and accelerated development of functions within the brain that allow its more efficient and effective use. While old ideas of intelligence and giftedness were generally limited to analytical and rational thinking, giftedness really includes an interaction of all of the areas of brain function — physical sensing, emotions, cognition, and intuition. Broader concepts
of intelligence and giftedness may be expressed through problem solving, creative behavior, academic aptitude, leadership, performance in the visual and performing arts, invention, or a myriad of other human abilities. High intelligence, whether expressed in cognitive abilities such as the capacity to generalize, conceptualize, or reason abstractly, or in specific abilities such as creative behavior, results from the interaction between inherited and acquired characteristics. This interaction encompasses all of the physical, mental, and emotional characteristics of the person and all of the people, events, and objects entering the person’s awareness. Our reality is unique to each of us.


W h a t I s M o r e I m p o r t a n t , Na t u r e o r Nu r t u r e ?

An endless interaction between the environment and our genetic framework creates our intelligence, even our perception of reality. This process begins very early, as soon as the
fertilized egg attaches to the wall of the uterus. As the cells divide and the fetus begins to grow, the environment already begins to exert a determining influence. One could not say from this
interactive point of view which is more important — the inherited abilities or the
environmental opportunities to develop them. Restriction on either nature (genes) or nurture (environment) would inhibit the high levels of actualized intellectual ability we call
giftedness.

Our genes are not a limit, but provide a rough outline of the possibilities for our life. While genes provide us with our own unique menu, the environment makes the actual selection within that range of choice. Any reference to “High-IQ genes” must be seen as a misnomer because the
discernible characteristics of an organism always depend on its particular environmental history.

Environmental interaction with the genetic program of the individual occurs whether planned or left to chance. By conservative estimates, this interaction can result in a 20- to 40-point difference in measured intelligence. Teachers and parents must be aware that how we structure the environment for children changes them neurologically and biologically. Without opportunities for appropriatechallenge, talent and ability may be lost. From an overwhelming body of research, we must conclude that the development of intelligence includes both
nature AND nurture.

W h o A r e G i f t e d L e a r n e r s ?
At birth the human brain contains some 100 to 200 billion brain cells. Each neural cell is in place
and ready to be developed, ready to be used for actualizing the highest levels of human potential. With a very small number of exceptions, all human infants come equipped with this marvelous
complex heritage.

For example, two individuals with approximately the same genetic capacity for developing intelligence could be regarded as potentially gifted or as educably retarded as a result of the
environment with which they interact. While we never develop more neural cells, it is estimated that we actually use less than 5 percent of our brain capability. How we use this complex
system becomes critical to our development of intelligence and personality and to the very quality of life we experience as we grow. Those who work with gifted children must acquire an
understanding of the power of the interaction between the organism and its environment.


When the brain becomes more accelerated and advanced in its function through this interaction, the individual shows characteristics that can be identified with high intelligence. Some of those characteristics can be seen as the direct result of changes in brain structures. These changes continue to occur as long as appropriate stimulation is available. Over and over brain research
points to the dynamic nature of the brain’s growth and the need to challenge the individual at that individual’s level of development for growth to continue. Unchallenged, the individual will
lose brain power.


Although each child will express giftedness in his or her unique way, behaviors often observed among these children include intense curiosity, frequent and sophisticated questions, an accelerated pace of thought and learning, complex thinking, often connecting seemingly disparate ideas, persistence in pursuing interests, and early development of language and mathematical skills. Emotionally gifted children may show a heightened awareness of “being
different,” unusual sensitivity to the expressed feelings and problems of others, early concern for global and abstract issues, idealism and concern for fairness and justice, and high expectations for self and others. Gifted children often show an unusual asynchrony or gap between physical and intellectual development and a low tolerance for a lag between personal vision and physical abilities. Most interesting is the gifted child’s early awareness and expression of heightened perceptions, preference for creative solutions and actions over predictable ones, and early use of hunches and best guesses.


The best way to identify high levels of intellectual development, or what we call giftedness, is to observe the child at play in a rich, responsive environment. During the early years it is important to provide lots of opportunities for children to interact with interesting, novel, and unusual experiences that allow them to stretch just beyond their current ability level. All children must have experiences at their level of development because it is during early childhood
that intelligence is nurtured and giftedness is developed. The most important challenge for teachers at home and at school is to stay just ahead of the child in presenting materials and experiences — not too far ahead and yet not presenting too much repetition. Creating an environment and experiences that respond to the child with an appropriate balance of the
familiar and new is the best way to provide for optimal development.

Pr o v i d e f o r E a r l y L e a r n i n g
Parents are their children’s first teachers, and they need to provide a rich, responsive environment and guidance based on the unique needs and interests of their children. You will be
most effective when you create the appropriate emotional and social climate and are sensitive to your infant’s unique personality and development. Following are some activities to optimize development and learning based on observing your child’s rhythms, abilities, and interests.


Beginning ve r y e a r l y :
• Respond to your infant’s signals and encourage attention and active involvement.
• Play games using lots of sensory activities — tickle; squeeze; rock and move; use different textures against the baby’s skin; use lots of different sounds.
• Place mobiles and moving toys in and around the crib.
• Have a variety of patterned materials available for your baby to see.
• Talk to your baby during all caregiving activities.
• Show lots of affection; cuddle and pat.

Around 4 months of age or before :
• Place an unbreakable mirror in the crib.
• Provide stacking toys and objects for throwing, banging, and moving.
• Play games with fingers and toes; play peek-a-boo.
• Talk to your baby and encourage baby’s use of words.
• Take trips around the community.
• Read books to your baby.
• Provide social interactions for your baby with adults and older peers.

By 10 months of age or before :
• Provide a wide variety of toys and household objects for stringing, nesting, digging, pounding, screwing, and construction.
• Provide tape players, magnets, blocks, puzzles, books, and art materials.
• Play guessing games, matching and sorting games, finger games, circle games, and treasure hunts.
• Read to your child; make books of the child’s activities — scrapbooks, color, and number books.
• Take neighborhood learning excursions; develop collections.
• Organize a safe physical environment that allows for a variety of sensory experiences and explorations.

Allow your child to dictate when and how long an activity lasts. By adding ideas and
enthusiasm, parents introduce the world of learning to their child in exciting and pleasurable
ways. Love of learning and discovery is a deep motivation for every child; all the parents need
do is encourage and respond.

Families have long-term effects on their children in many ways. They create the attitudes and expectations that allow high levels of development. Some of the most important parenting factors are articulating your beliefs about success and failure and your aspirations and expectations for achievement, teaching and modeling strategies for self-control and responsibility, providing a variety of language opportunities, and developing a close family
environment.

As gifted children grow, they will require more complexity and more opportunities to nurture their rapidly expanding and curious minds. The following are a few activities parents can
provide from kindergarten throughout their child’s school life:

• Give your child access to new ideas and information by including him or her
in discussions at dinner and during family conversations.
• Research ideas together; show your child how you gather information for your work and personal interests.
• Share your enthusiasms with your child.
• Provide choices and alternatives as much as possible and include your child in decision making wherever appropriate.

As soon as children can understand the consequences of an action they should be
part of the decision.
• Model clear and open communication principles such as not blaming
others, making expectations known, identifying and speaking from one’s own
beliefs while accepting the beliefs of others. Help your child use these principles
in communicating.
• See and use problems as opportunities for learning, and help your child do
this in his or her life.
• Reduce tension for your child, as gifted children are known to put excessive
pressure on themselves to achieve or to be “perfect” in what they attempt. Share your
strategies for accepting less than perfection in yourself. Also, have flexible rules
that change appropriately and with discussion, share the establishment of guidelines and goals, and acknowledge and point out strengths as well as areas in need of development.
• Acknowledge your child’s accomplishments even though everyone may
expect him or her to do well.
• Help your child understand what giftedness is and the implications of this
level of brain growth, including the responsibilities your child has to help
nurture this dynamic process.
• Provide a safe place for your child to discuss problems. Listen without judgment
as your child explores his or her feelings and possible solutions. There are many people who will not understand gifted Prufrock press AD children’s intensity and the needs that relate to their advanced and accelerated brain process. Your home may at times be the only place your child feels protected.
• Mostly, just enjoy living with your gifted child. While it is a never-ending challenge, it is an unbelievable joy!

The newborn child is amazingly competent and able to learn. With love
and careful attention, parents and teachers can provide the opportunities to optimize
every child’s potential and realize each child’s giftedness. No child is just born
gifted.

Dr. Barbara Clark is a Professor in the Division
of Special Education and Coordinator for
graduate programs in the area of gifted education
at California State University, Los Angeles, .
Dr. Clark is the author of the widely used text,
Growing Up Gifted (5th Edition, 1997) and
Optimizing Learning (1986), both published
by Merrill/Prentice Hall. She has taught
preschool children on commercial television as
the teacher of Romper Room and in both regular
and gifted classes at the elementary level in
public schools.

"Mile Marker Series Copyright 2009 NAGC. Reprinted with permission of the National Association for Gifted Children. No further reprints or redistribution is permitted without the consent of NAGC."