How The Gifted Brain Learns
By
David Sousa
What is a Gifted Brain?
Before we get to that question, I think we should start with, “Why do we need to learn about
intelligence and how the gifted brain learns?” To me, what we know about the brain,
intelligence, and how we learn will give us a great deal of insight into how we can help
students reach their highest potential and just importantly - love learning.
“Since we know we can make students smarter, and that intelligence is not static but everchanging, the more we know about how smart kids differ from each other and the more we
are able to make more kids smarter! There are multiple answers to that question.”
– Joseph Renzulli
Researchers, however, do agree on one characteristic of giftedness:
“….it derives from a well above average level of intelligence.” Chapter
1: What is a Gifted Brain? summarizes several predominant theories of
intelligence and giftedness. The chapter will provide different insights
into this complex and controversial question by describing the theories
of several well-known researchers.
Joseph Renzulli’s Definition of Giftedness:
Renzulli’s Three-Ring Conception of Giftedness (see Venn diagram below) suggests that
giftedness results from the interaction of the following three traits that must work
together:

General Abilities: processing information, integrating experiences and abstract
thinking or specific abilities that were above average;

Commitment to Task: perseverance, hard work, endurance, perceptiveness and selfconfidence;

Creativity: flexibility, fluency, originality, openness to experiences and a willingness to
take risks.
His work brought the value of integrating creativity and imagination to the
forefront of every classroom. For many years our educational system
relied primarily on teachers lecturing from the front of the classroom,
while students sat in straight rows students working independently on
paper and pencil worksheets. Objective and standardized tests were used
to measure a student’s progress. Renzulli’s theory stimulated educators to provide more
opportunities for creative programs.
Here is a link to an interesting website about Renzulli.
http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/sem/semart13.html
.
Howard Gardner is well known for challenging us with this question. “Ask not how smart the
child is, but how is the child smart?” His Multiple Intelligences research suggests that we
possess at least eight intelligences (summarized below). According to Gardner, an individual
is predisposed to developing each of the intelligences to different levels of competence. He
defines giftedness as, “…an individual being exceptionally competent in one or more of the
intelligences.” These intelligences are the product of the interaction between genetic
predisposition and the environment or a combination of nature and nurture.
For Gardner, intelligence is:

the ability to create an effective product or offer a
service that is valued in a culture;

a set of skills that make it possible for a person to solve
problems in life;

the potential for finding or creating solutions for
problems, which involves gathering new knowledge
The table below lists and briefly describes Gardner's multiple intelligences. It also provides
examples of relevant behaviors for each type of intelligence. By T.M. McDevitt and J.E.
Ormrod at http://www.edu cation.com/reference/article/Gardners-multiple-intelligences/
Type of Intelligence
Linguistic Intelligence
Ability to use language
effectively
Examples of Relevant Behaviors



Making persuasive arguments
Writing poetry
Identifying subtle nuances in word
meanings
LogicalMathematical

Intelligence

Ability to reason

logically, especially
Solving mathematical problems quickly
Generating mathematical proofs
Formulating and testing hypotheses
about observed phenomena
in mathematics and science
Spatial Intelligence
Ability to notice details of what one sees

and to imagine and

manipulate visual

objects in one's mind
Musical Intelligence
Ability to create,
comprehend, and



appreciate music
Bodily-Kinesthetic
Intelligence
Ability to use one's
body skillfully



Conjuring up mental images
Drawing a visual likeness of an object
Making fine discriminations among very
similar objects
Playing a musical instrument
Composing a musical work
Showing a keen awareness of the
underlying structure of music
Dancing
Playing basketball
Performing pantomime
Interpersonal
Intelligence


Ability to notice subtle
aspects of other people's

behaviors

Intrapersonal
Intelligence
Awareness of one's own
feelings, motives, and
desires
Naturalist Intelligence
Ability to recognize
patterns in nature and
differences among
natural objects and
life-forms





Correctly perceiving another's mood
Detecting another's underlying
intentions and desires
Using knowledge of others to influence
their thoughts and behaviors
Discriminating among such similar
emotions as sadness and regret
Identifying the motives guiding one's
own behavior
Using self-knowledge to relate more
effectively with others
Identifying members of particular
plant or animal species
Classifying natural forms (e.g., rocks,
types of mountains)
Applying one's knowledge of nature in
such activities as farming, landscaping,
or animal training
This list at http://professorlamp.com/ed/TAG/7_Intelligences.html describes the
intelligences with respect to gifted and talented children.
1. Linguistic:
a. Children with this kind of intelligence enjoy writing, reading, telling stories or
doing crossword puzzles.
2. Logical-Mathematical:
a. Children with lots of logical intelligence are interested in patterns, categories
and relationships. They are drawn to arithmetic problems, strategy games and
experiments.
3. Bodily-Kinesthetic:
a. These kids process knowledge through bodily sensations. They are often
athletic, dancers or good at crafts such as sewing or woodworking.
4. Spatial:
a. These children think in images and pictures. They may be fascinated with mazes
or jigsaw puzzles, or spend free time drawing, building with Leggos or
daydreaming.
5. Musical:
a. Children are always singing or drumming to
themselves. They are usually quite aware of
sounds others may miss. These kids are often
discriminating listeners.
6. Interpersonal:
a. Children who are leaders among their peers, who
are good at communicating and who seem to understand others' feelings and
motives possess interpersonal intelligence.
7. Intrapersonal:
a. These children may be shy. They are very aware of their own feelings and are
self-motivated.
Here are links to two online resources. The first one is a link to his charter school in New
York.
http://howardgardnerschool.com/
http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/mi/index.html
I have been especially interested in Gardner’s research and often
implement his strategies. As suggested earlier in this summary,
students need opportunities to use all the intelliegences. Art,
music, interpersonal and kinesthetic strategies must be provided.
Drawing a picture, composing or listening to music, debating an
issue, interviewing experts….. all of these activities are essential
for learning. For example, if a teacher’s objective is for students
to understand the literary elements of a novel (setting,
characters, plot, etc.), different learners will grasp the concept in
different ways. One student might illustrate the elements through drawing, another might be
able to re-create the elements through acting, and yet another might better be able to
summarize them in writing. I was never a good test taker. I was much better at research or
demonstrating what I had learned in a more creative way. Teaching with the multiple
intelligences allows teachers to provide opportunities for authentic learning that is based on
each student’s learning style, talents and interests.
In the 1980’s, Francoys Gagne proposed a comprehensive model that made a distinction
between the components of giftedness and the nature of talent. He differentiated between
giftedness and talent by proposing that giftedness represents innate abilities in multiple
domains, while talent is a skill in a single domain that has been systematically developed.
In other words, talent implies the presence of well above average natural abilities. One
cannot be talented without having gifts. The reverse cannot be true. Some students with
well above average natural abilities do not translate these gifts into talents.
He maintains that the persistent lack of differentiation has resulted in gifted and talented
programs that focus mainly on the academically gifted and provide little or no support for
highly talented students. I can’t argue with that. Most programs in our area do seem to
address the needs of our students who are gifted in reading and/or math.
Like Howard Gardner, Gagne’s research includes references to different domains. The chart
below, while somewhat complicated, summarizes his findings.
http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/policies/gats/assets/pdf/poldmgtcolrdia
g.pdf
http://www.teachingexpertise.com/articles/robert-sternbergs-educational-theories-1679
Originating from his own negative experience with traditional IQ
measurements, Robert J. Sternberg developed an alternative intelligence
model. His Triarchic Theory describes giftedness as the combination of
three types of intelligences that produce different patterns of
giftedness.
In this model, intelligence is defined by three types of
behavior and giftedness results from the ability to perform the skills in
one or more of the areas with exceptional accuracy and efficiency.
Charles Dietz studied Sternberg’s theories on the teaching of gifted pupils.
“Sternberg
asked himself why many people with the practical ability to do a job such as his – to teach,
research and administrate – were rejected because of an inability to memorize facts. He
concluded that the American educational system was failing many talented students because
it was unable to recognize or nurture their creative and practical abilities.”
“Taking practical experience with highly intellectual people, who aren't exactly successful in
life into consideration, Sternberg describes three different kinds of intelligence in his
model:

Analytical thinking which focuses on planning, monitoring, reflection, and transfer.

Creative thinking which focuses on developing, applying new ideas, and creating
solutions.

Practical thinking which focuses on selecting and shaping real-world environments and
experiences.”
In conclusion, here are some interesting facts about intelligence.
Facts About Intelligence
By
Stephen Ceci (2001)
1.
IQ correlates with some simple abilities. The higher your
intelligence, the faster you process information and the quicker you can solve
problems.
2. IQ is affected by school attendance. The longer a person remains in school, the
smarter s/he becomes. Staying in school can prevent your IQ from slipping. IQ
declines over summer vacation and with the lack of performance. For each year of
high school not completed, this is an average loss of 1.8 IQ points. Delaying school also
has adverse effects on IQ.
3. IQ is not influenced by birth order. There is no correlation between birth order and
intelligence. However, as a group, smarter people tend to have fewer children than
those of lower intelligence.
4. IQ is related to breastfeeding. By age 3, breast-fed babies have an IQ that is from 3
to 8 points higher than bottle-fed babies. (This may be related to the amount of time
a mother and child spend together while nursing. It may also be that the immune
factors in mothers’ milk present children from getting diseases that deplete energy
and impair early learning.
5. IQ varies by birth date. Students born late in the year, as a group, show lower IQ
scores.
6. IQ evens out with age. Siblings who are raised separately may have marked
differences in IQ when they are younger. However, once they reach adulthood, their
IQs are more similar. (This is probably due to genetic factors which take priority over
environmental ones.)
7. Intelligence is plural, not singular. Three kinds of intelligence are generally
recognized: spatial, verbal and mathematical. A fourth type, practical/common sense,
also has been noted by researchers. Other recognized GATE theorists embrace the
theory of multiple intelligences.
8. IQ is correlated to head size. Based upon IQ tests, the larger a person’s head, the
smarter he is.
9. Intelligence scores are predictive of real-world outcomes. Over their lifetimes, people
who have completed more school tend to earn more. College graduates earn more than
high school graduates. Those with professional degrees early more than college
graduates. As a rule, the higher a person’s intellectual ability, the higher her earnings.
10. Intelligence is context-dependent. A person can be really smart in one area and very
average in other areas. Being able to reason complexly depends upon what each person
is required to think about.
11. IQ is on the rise. Average IQ has risen 20 points with every generation. We are
smarter than our parents and our children will most likely be smarter than we are. The
bar continues to rise.
12. IQ may be affected by the school café menu. Diet influences brain functioning. Eat
your fish. It’s brain food! A 14% increase in IQ was noted after preservatives were
removed from the café menu in New York City public schools.