SCPS High School GATES

Gifted & Talent Educational Services March 2023

Creativity and Gifted

The common misnomer is, oh they are artistic. Some of our gifted students are identified as gifted in the Arts; however, in the field of creativity, it refers to being quick to think and making connections between things. Creatively gifted children are excellent at connecting seemingly disparate concepts in order to generate fresh ideas. They see problems and situations from strikingly unexpected angles. At times, their opinions may seem bizarre or contradictory to outside observers.


In other words, to problem-solve or display expressions in a new venue, one must creatively think as well as critically think.


Source: https://www.psy-ed.com/wpblog/what-is-creative-giftedness-and-how-can-creativity-be-nurtured-in-gifted-children/

The 5 Types of Creative Thinkers

Traits of Creatively Gifted Children

  • Openness: Creatively gifted children live in a world of endless possibilities. Where an intellectually gifted child will debate the correct answer, a creatively gifted child will think of multiple potential answers or hypothetical scenarios. They enjoy experimenting with thought and finding exceptions to the rules.
  • Inventiveness: Creatively gifted children are excellent at connecting seemingly disparate concepts in order to generate fresh ideas. They see problems and situations from strikingly unexpected angles. At times, their opinions may seem bizarre or contradictory to outside observers.
  • Distractibility: Because creatively gifted kids are constantly overflowing with ideas, they have trouble staying on task—even when engaged in voluntary activities. These children tend to start a lot of projects but struggle to complete the vast majority of them. They’re also preoccupied with imaginative fantasy, rather than internalizing information. As such, they tend to daydream a great deal. (Note that it’s important to rule out the presence of ADHD before attributing these traits to creative giftedness.)
  • Intuition: Intellectually gifted children tend to use a mix of abstract and logical thinking to solve problems. Creatively gifted children, by contrast, rely heavily on their intuition. They often feel like they “just know” the correct way to solve a problem, without being sure how they arrived at their conclusions.
  • Individualism: Though all gifted children have a tendency to come across as being somewhat eccentric, creatively gifted kids are often radically different. They usually show a marked lack of interest in “fitting in,” preferring to pursue their own unique style of expression. This can make it very difficult for them to participate in group learning. As adolescents, these kids are often drawn to niche subcultures and unconventional modes of living.

Habits of Exceptionally Creative People

Teach a child to test and he will succeed for a day. Teach him to think creatively, and he will thrive for a lifetime.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmQPNJhw5kQ

https://youtu.be/kQjtK32mGJQ

SCPS High School Gifted Instructional Team

Kevin Bouffard (BPHS) bouffardkj@staffordschools.net

Feli Cardenas (NSHS) cardenasfh@staffordschools.net

Susan Easter (CFHS) eastersl@staffordschools.net

Kali Hamill (MVHS) hamillkm@staffordschools.net

Helga Purnell (SHS) purnellhj@staffordschools.net

Stephenie Fellinger (SCPS Gifted Facilitator) fellingersl@staffordschools.net