Characteristics of Giftedness  天才的特質     (quoted from Bilingual Student Post Oct. 13 - Oct. 19, 2002  No.790)

用單一智商(IQ)衡量天才的方法已被挑戰，「天才」被重新定義，只要努力，我們都會有天才的特質。

Early in the 20th century, the gifted were seen through a narrow prism, as those who could score above a certain number on a single IQ test. Research on intelligence in the latter part of the century offered a new view of what constitutes "giftedness" - to include not just ability to do high-level math but social, creative and  emotional intelligence as well. The Washington-based, nonprofit National Association for Gifted Children says educators typically look for these traits in trying to determine " giftedness."

1. Leadership 領導能力

• Assumes responsibility 具有責任感

• High expectations for self and others 對自己、別人有很高的期許

• Foresees consequences and implications of decisions 有遠見，可預見決策的結果和關連的層面

• Fluent, concise self-expression 流利、簡潔的表達能力

• Good judgment in decision making 能做明智的決策

• Likes structure 喜歡組織架構

• Well liked by peers 受同儕歡迎

• Self-confident 自信

• Organized 有組織能力

2. Specific Academic Ability 學術能力

• Pursues special interest with enthusiasm and vigor 充滿熱忱與活力追求興趣

• High academic success in special-interest area 在特別感興趣的領域裡有很高的成就

• Acquires Basic-skills knowledge quickly 迅速學習基本技能、知識

• Widely read in special-interest area 廣泛的閱讀

• Good memorization ability 記憶力佳

• Advanced comprehension 理解力強

3. Creative Thinking 創意思考

• Independent thinker 能獨立思考

• Possesses a sense of humor 有幽默感

• Exhibits original thinking in oral and written expression 能用口語與書寫展現原創的思考

• Comes up with several solutions to a given problem 對問題能提出數種解決方法

• Does not mind being different form the crowd 不在乎特立獨行

• Challenged by creative tasks 能接受有創意性工作的挑戰

• Creates and invents 能創造與發明

• Improvises often 經常自我反省改進

4. General Intellectual Ability 一般智能

• processes information in complex ways 用複雜的方法處理資訊

• formulates abstractions 有系統的闡述抽象概念

• Excited about new ideas 對新觀念感到興奮

• Enjoys hypothesizing 喜歡假設

• Uses a large vocabulary 詞彙豐富

• Learns rapidly 快速學習

• Self-starter 主動

• Observant 敏銳的觀察力

• Inquisitive 追根究底