Bright vs. Gifted: Is There a Difference?

loved this article!

when we won states for swimming in high school, we did not put bumper stickers on our cars but i understand your point.

This author has hit the nail on the head!  Several times a year I have parents come to me with concerns about why their A-student isn't in the gifted program.  I explain by telling them that getting "A's" along with test scores and teacher observations may mean they are exactly where they need to be.  Gifted students are really "above A's" and that's why we program for them differently, as in acceleration and enrichment.  What I would like to add is this explanation is that bright children in the classroom would benefit from the enrichment component--something well-staffed schools may be able to offer through their gifted programs, but more likely needs to come through the regular classroom teacher, who may not have the expertise.

So what about the high achieving kids that don't qualify? If they can't get into GT, but the classroom is boring and won't differentiate, what is a parent to do?

I would say I have a child who fits into this category. So this is a nice article that we've illustrated the potential problem.
 
The system expects me to treat my daughter as a "bright child".
 
But I, and they -- need to treat her as a "Gifted Child".
 
So what do we do? How do I keep her motivated, engaged and play to her obvious (as far as their article is concerned) her strengths and not what these morons who can't seem to get past the "bright child" metaphor teach to? My kid can blow away any of these bright kids. She's really gifted. So how to I ensure she really has a chance?

I loved the explanation of a "gifted" child vs a "bright" child.  My son is in the gifted program at school and while he does receive all A's he also has an undeniable thirst for knowledge.  At the age of 11 he started an internet group to write and publish a book on lucid dreaming simply because it was interesting to him and at age 12 he was purchasing books on Quantum physics.    If he doesn't understand something, he takes it upon himself to get the answer.  On the other hand, for years we felt my friend's daughter was gifted because she seemed to learn at a faster pace than most children her age.  In reality she most likely just had a better memory than most children as she is now 14 and struggles to maintain a C average. She's great at spelling and reading but has an incredible difficulty with math, science and cognitive thinking.

I have been searching for scholarships for my daughter to attend a private school in our district. The academy for gifted students closed,she is 5 with a IQ of 149.(she is already 1 grade ahead) The private school has given us a very generous fin. aid, however we need additional funds. HELP

I have an 11 year old who just scored in the 99th percentile on the slossens test and still did not qualify for the "gifted program" because it was not labled "gifted and talented" just gifted. In this schools program he has to be in the top 2 percent in the country and his IQ has to be at least 130..... He fell just short of that.  The difference was between the lable Superior (which he is in that catagory) and Far Superior.  In his previous school he was in the gifted and talented program 2 grade levels ahead (because it was for gifted AND talented).  In this school he is in standard classes with nothing extra making straight A's and playing instead of learning.  Makes ya wonder.

I think this is where parents come in, and stop relying on a system to teach their children everything. If you don't have a good program near you, or you feel like your child isn't getting what they need- YOU be the supplement. Take them to the library, get on the internet with them, experience life with them, talk to and listen to them. You be the enrichment that they need!

This explains a lot.  
 
I could never figure out why I couldn't GET OUT of the GT program, but now I see that it's something you either are or aren't, it's not something you can choose, work towards or work out of.
 
With any luck, my own daughter will not be diagnosed as GT and can just grow-up being normal.  Being gifted is a curse in this country and I don't want my daughter to have to grow-up like that.
 
Cheers!

My son is in the GT program in his elementary school, but frankly I'm still skeptical of the whole gifted vs. bright thing. Judging by the listed criteria, I think he's bright, not particularly gifted. We had him assessed for the program because we were told by a GT expert that kids in the program benefit from the additional support they receive. Well duh; nurturing inquisitiveness and providing stimulation is bound to make any bright student perform better. The kids in the GT program mainly seem to be the kids whose parents place an emphasis on education.

     This article reminds me of something I teach students: All squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares.  The chief difference is it's easier to see that in geometry, but not so easy with young students.  Teachers can often see the differences due to the numbers of students we've worked with, but getting parenst to be so objective - that, at times, requires the wisdom of Solomon!

Labeling kids sets them up to fail. Look at the subjective criteria you've laid out for them, and then compare that with the natural ability of the people who will be educating them, their peers, and the greater community to see through that single lens. What is much more important to a child's success is the quality of the school and its teachers, not it's labels and access to special programs.
 
I was labeled 'gifted' in kindergarten by whatever the national criteria were at the time. I began an accelerated learning program that moved me into different grades for different classes. While I found the intellectual challenge exciting what I noticed after a few weeks was that the emotional landscape had changed. I had no 'home' class since I was not in a given grade for lunch or recess everyday. And in time students in both classrooms saw me as a pariah. In rare instances the teachers would actually treat me as a pariah which is a confusing thing to someone who just wanted to learn and thought that's what teachers were for - teaching students. Instead I was just an overly vocal and inquisitive annoyance who demanded more work of them- something most were definitely not interested in.
 
Another unexamined side-effect is that as a 'gifted' student the label stays with you as you move through the system. You're with the same kids and teachers the whole way along. The memories stay, and the reputation precedes you. Even if you drop out of the program the label sticks (and now you're a drop-out, too) so if the label had been misapplied, it's irrelevant. It can't be removed.
 
What's interesting is that not labeling a child has no risks and equal rewards. The real question here is whether to supplement a child and increase their potential mental yield or to let them pass unlabeled through a system and naturally exceed the average. If life has taught me anything is that the latter is surely the better. Peers, colleges, graduate schools and employers all respond most positively to someone who does well in a normal situation vs. a fallen wunderkind.
 
Having spent grades 11-12 in a K-12 private school having no gifted program I got a window into a different paradigm. No one was labeled, and yet everyone excelled to their own limits. Many students got perfect SAT scores and other did slightly above average, but it was not important. Everyone lived up to their own unique maximum. Kids who clearly would have been in a middle or lower tier in my old public school were in class with me and did quite well, did not need my tutelage as teachers provided that role, and got into quality universities. In my prior public school those same students would likely have not even applied.
 
The real lesson, and this is critically important, is that the quality of the school exceeds any labels or lack of them that a child receives during their primary education. Said another way, bread, water and a vitamin supplement isn't much better than bread and water alone. As a veteran of this process I see this label for what in my experience it was: an attempt to apply a band-aid to a sub-par school system staffed by lackluster teachers and insufferably ineffectual administrators. It better served the vanity and funding of the school than it did my education, and the label was applied purely at my expense.
 
If your child is truly gifted no application of a label (or lack thereof) will alter their minds. Please don't curse your children with a 'gifted' label. Be proud of them, but let them be. If you encourage their efforts, give them the chance to fail on their own, and don't limit their curiosity they'll go where they want to go. If you label them they and everyone they meet in school will have judged their before they have even begun. I and the other 'gifted' kids in my classes beg you, don't harm your children with good intentions.
 

This article is too brief to really be able to extrapolate much.  Suffice it to say that I've seen this comparison between Bright vs. Gifted elsewhere, and I think it's a simple way to think of the two.  However, it's just the tip of the iceberg to understand "gifted" individuals.  Having read the 13 commentaries prior to mine, it seems like several had a very negative experience with the "label" and see it as a "curse".  That is a shame.  Programs will vary, as do schools and quality of teachers -- and that goes for ANY program, school, or teacher (not just those labeled "gifted").  
 
I, too, had experiences being tested and placed in a gifted program, but much has changed since WE were in those programs.  The first thing that has changed is MY understanding of the definitions, purposes, and intent of the gifted programs.  Ultimately, parents are their child's best advocate, and must be able to research, discern, and weigh the best options available for their child.  The onus is on us to be intentional about what we do for our children while also keeping a healthy balance and allowing our kids to be kids (and, yes, letting them fail).  
 
We do need to allow kids to enjoy the innocence of their youth, play and have fun.  I would say the same to the sports-crazy parents that "push" their kids to excel in sports; or the music-recital parents that "push" their kids to compete, or the drama-loving parents that "push" their kids into theatre, maybe pushing them to audition for commercials, etc, or those that "push" a modeling career.  Life is not all about any ONE of these things.
 
The kicker is that some kids are self-driven.  Some kids are excellent musicians & actors, some do "go for the gold", and some are "gifted".  They should be accepted for who they are, and encouraged to keep up with their interests.  It is never a bad thing for a parent also to seek support.  So, if you have a "gifted" kid, use the Internet to explore your options if your local program leaves a lot to be desired.

I would like to say that I think the labeling of kids gifted by schools and society as a whole is not a good thing.  I have two children graduating next month and one was labeled learning disabled/autistic and the other profoundly gifted.  The LD kid definately got more assistance and was not expected to do much.  They are so surprised that that kid exceeded everything that has ever been asked and is a very happy excited child.  The other "gifted" kid was left to pretty much figure it out for themselves.  There is a gifted program but it was supposed to be "internally driven" not instructor said the district and as such no mentoring or ideas were really offered to the student.  They were supposed to come ask for it.  The student doesn't care about the grade but rather whether they are learning, which in most cases they are not, so I don't know how you can show you are internally motivated other than that.  Also, how do you ask for it when you are an introverted thinker unless the parents ask for it.  We did and were denied.  The kid was constantly told you are so smart, you have so much to offer, you don't have to work at it because its so easy for you.  Now, profoundly gifted kid is merely above average with off the charts test scores and feels like a failure because didn't get to the elite college that everyone expected they would.  The expectations were so high but the services, support and stimulation wasn't there.  I think providing interesting, intellectually simulating material when the student is ready and not testing or labeling is the way to go.  Of course, you would have to actually have a passion for learning and teaching yourself to make this work.  I don't think that is the case, sadly, for a majority of the so called teaching profession.  If you as a parent cannot afford to teach them yourself, I guess you have to put up with what you are able to get.   Sad for the kids though.  Let's stop putting them in boxes by labels and see what they can actually do.

Everyone seems to be putting a whole lot of stock into a test score.  Tests and measurements have weaknesses and are just a snapshot of your child's ability for the particular definition of aptitude or ability being assessed by the particular instrument being used.  Most schools use a 20-minute paper-and-pencil test to assess one of the most complicated constructs, intelligence, and then misapply that score to label our children into categories.   The fact is that success has less to do with an IQ or test score and more to do with an ability to set goals, postpone gratification, motivation, perseverance, development of good character/morals,  social skills, ability to choose a good mate and experience healthy relationships, etc. etc.  Don't get hung up on whether some instrument came up with a particular number for you child.  So-called GT students are no more likely to be happy in life, pick a good partner, or have a successful career.   In fact, the average IQ of individuals completing college is 115 and for those completing higher degrees is 125.   If you have been told you have an average or bright kid, relax.  With your love and support they are just as likely to be winners in life.

I sympathize with the individuals and their parents who have stated their unique experiences in their very interesting comments regarding this useful and descriptive article.  I see that no matter what, these children seem to make it through anything, no matter what the different situations have to offer or deny them.  I will keep you all in mind as I try to teach my own GT students, thanks to your valid and important input, which helps me significantly understand a bit more about the phenomenon surrounding these blessed individuals.  

These are all theories that often have little or no relation to reality. "Often already knows the answers"? Year, right. It may "work" for "hand-waving" subjects where "answers" are subjective, but I would like to see a child prove a theorem in Mathematics or propose a viable theory of a physical phenomenon. If a child "already know all the answers" why do you even teach him? Give him a job to teach at university or to develop new technologies.  
In my opinions all of these "identifications" are useless. Just do a good job in teaching everyone the same program and set up optional classes with deeper level after school for everyone who is interested.

i am glad to know that I fall under the category of "Gifted"
*Asks the questions
Can be inattentive and still get good grades and test scores
Questions the answers
Prefers adults or older children
Is highly self-critical *
 
i need to mention though that the "Gifted programs" are utterly and entirely USELESS USELESS USELESS!
 
Here is my story:
I went to a very good high school (ranked in the top 10 in the nation for the part few years), but i was part of the regular program (there was Math-Science-Engineering, Computer Science, International Bachelorette, then mine which was basically a regular paced program).
All the kids who were in the International Bachelorette were former "Gifted" kids and always looked down on the ones in the regular program. So thats one negative in having your child in a gifted program, it makes them feel superior when they are not.
Now, not to exaggerate, but i could never, ever consider myself a hard worker (even now, i'm supposed to be a good engineer but i'm on here lol). Usually came home with straight Cs in elementrary, I was at the bottom 20% of my high school, i never pay attention in class, i'm rarely interested or participate, never got straight As...
Even so, when i graduated from high school (May 2004) i STILL ended up with more college credits than the International Bachelorette kids.  When i graduated from college, i was ahead of the game, when i recieved my master's degree in engineering (May 2008) I actually noticed that MOST of the kids i graduated high school with who were in Gifted and the IB program didnt even get their bachelor's degree at that point in time.
 
I'm not trying to brag, maybe i am gifted or maybe i'm not, i don't know...
But what i do know is that if a lazy guy like myself(seriously, i'm not a hard worker) to get a master's degree before most "GIFTED"  kids recieve a bachelor's, it must seriously speak volumes of how useless all these Gifted programs really are...

You use the passive in the bright list and the active in the gifted list as a way of showing how much better gifted children are than smart children, but for all intents and purposes the lists are identical. The only different one is the gifted perfectionists, which leads me to conclude that your idea of a gifted child is a smart perfectionist who rambles on occasionally.