Profiles of the Gifted & Talented – Matrix

Characteristics and behaviors which may be observed

English Language Learners (ELL) / Poverty / Twice Exceptional (2X)
Verbal /
  • Proficient or advanced in listening, speaking, reading, and writing
  • Role playing
  • Story telling
  • Risk taker
  • Quick to learn second language
  • Expresses self both orally and written in more than one language
  • Expressive in body language
  • Sense of humor
  • Awareness of world happenings
  • Adapts successfully in two languages
  • Not satisfied with simple answers
  • Able to converse with older adults
  • Socially oriented
  • Exceptional memory skills
  • Strives to achieve, wants to perform at the highest level possible
  • May display characteristics in native language or English
/ Verbal /
  • Obnoxious with questions
  • Learns at a fast rate
  • Absorbs more facts/details
  • Speaksin casual registerof language
  • Gets meaning from asking numerous questions
  • Verbally precocious
  • Complex story telling-not complex language
  • Uses descriptive language (not necessarily advanced in vocabulary)
  • Fluent in their native language
  • Motivated in reading
  • Applies reading strategies
  • Humor
  • Vivid language
  • Uses language to build personal relationships
  • Smart mouth – clever wit
  • Not always positive
  • Trouble listening without interruptions
  • Strong analogies
/ Verbal /
  • High oral language skills and comprehension
  • Excels in reading or writing
  • Struggles with basic literacy skills despite strong oral and listening skills
  • Interacts orally with adults
  • Strong verbal reasoning skills
  • Verbally precocious
  • Avoids written work despite strong oral language or reading skills
  • Visual-motor problems

Non-Verbal /
  • Uses visual representation/drawing to demonstrate learning
  • High ability to absorb and process information
  • High level of abstract thinking
  • Able to improvise & implement with objects
  • Problem solving skills
  • Very inquisitive
  • Productive in small groups
  • Bored with solving repetitive tasks
  • Adapts to demands of culture
  • Attentive to visual details
  • Flexible thinker
  • Disassembles facts
  • Strong memory
/ Non-Verbal /
  • Motivated by external vs. internal pressures
  • Problem solving skills
  • Seeks relevance in tasks
  • Tends to be kinesthetic learner
  • Situational learners
  • Divergent
  • Improvises when problem solving
  • Strong verbal analogies
  • Intuitive problem solver
  • Grasps patterns
  • Flexible thinker
  • Intuitive math skills
/ Non-Verbal /
  • May not appear academically gifted
  • Seems average but moments of “ah-has”
  • Conceptual skills may not be demonstrated in academic performance
  • Impulsive
  • Pursues own topics of interest
  • Higher in one area than others
  • Excels in hands-onand visual-spatial activities
  • Difficulty with sequencing or linear thinking
  • Difficulty explaining or expressing ideas
  • Does best with geometry, spatial math
  • Interested in “big picture” rather than details

Quantitative /
  • Strong memory and able to recall mathematical functions
  • Problem solving skills
  • Processes information from whole to part and vice versa
  • Grasps and retains math facts
  • NOT a flexible thinker
/ Quantitative /
  • Automatism with numbers
  • Impatience with repetition
  • Nontraditional computation methods
  • Match/sort attributes
  • Patterning abilities
  • Reasoning
/ Quantitative /
  • Intuitively grasps math concepts
  • Learns math facts and operations quickly
  • Strong math abilities despite struggles with language or literacy
  • Strong math problem-solving or concepts despite difficulties learning math facts
  • Automatism with numbers
  • Impatience with repetition
  • Nontraditional computation methods
  • Patterning abilities
  • NOT a flexible thinker

English Language Learners (ELL) / Poverty / Twice Exceptional (2X)
Creative /
  • Imagination in telling stories
  • Lots of different solutions/flexible
  • Curious
  • Fantasizes
  • Strong intuition
  • Perfectionist in one or more arts
  • Project based learning
  • Strong outside interests
  • Enjoys creative movement
  • Improvises with lack of materials or resources
  • Develops new uses for materials
  • Seeks out personal connections & communication
  • Sets own goals
/ Creative /
  • Ingenuity
  • Rationalizes actions
  • Lack of concern for norms
  • Multiple solutions to problems
  • Expressive role play
  • Clever answers
  • Silly responses
  • Non-conformist
  • Appreciates color/arts
  • Appreciates non-traditional forms of art
  • Do things their own way
  • Non-compliant in classroom
  • Disengages in routine tasks
  • Exceptionally street wise
  • Adjusts to ones surroundings or settings
  • Makes up games and activities displaying imagination
/ Creative /
  • Creative in the generation of thoughts, ideas, actions
  • Innovative
  • Unusual imagination
  • Frequently generates unusual, at times bizarre ideas
  • Class clown
  • Focused creative interests- often not related to school subjects
  • May identify with counter culture
  • Tactile/ kinesthetic strengths
  • Musical or artistic aptitudes
  • Emotionally/ socially sensitive
  • Visual-spatial strengths
  • May struggle with depression/ existential issues

Cultural /
  • Responsibility for siblings
  • Tends not to show intellectual ability
  • May respond to touching
  • Avoids conflict
  • Performs better with affirmation
  • High achiever if has personal contact
  • Story telling skills
  • Respectful of elders, family, community
  • Relationships are valuable
  • Collaborative
  • Can solve social problems
  • Discomfort level in competitive situations
  • Some seek out competitive athletic activities
/ Cultural /
  • Humor highly valued
  • Relationships valued more than wealth
  • Motivated by family respect
  • Intuitive reasoning
  • Pride in culture/home
  • Motivated by acceptance or approval
  • Emotionally responsive rather than intellectually responsive
  • Tactile or kinesthetic learner
  • Community more important than self
  • Prioritizes time and events differently
  • Functions in the moment
  • Social connections are concrete
  • Sensitive to emotions
  • Expresses individualism
/ Possible Behavioral Manifestations /
  • Low self-esteem
  • Low Productivity
  • Seeks to hide giftedness
  • Perfectionism/ reluctance to take academic risks/ procrastination
  • Feelings of isolation/ loneliness
  • May be “street-wise” and demonstrate leadership among non-traditional students
  • Wide range of interests but difficulty pursuing them due to processing issues
  • Attentional/ organizational problems
  • Clowning behaviors
  • Self critical/ critical of others

When seeking out an instrument for identification there is NOT one instrument that fits all. Here are some options to build a body of evidence:

ELL – Instruments to Collect Data: / Poverty – Instruments to Collect Data: / Twice-Exceptional – Instruments to Collect Data:
Betts-Neihart Scales (*) / Betts-Neihart Scales (*) / Betts-Neihart Scales (*)
Bilingual Verbal Abilities Test (BVAT) / Bilingual Ravens Non-Verbal Ability Test / DAS_II
Colorado English Language Assessment (CELA) / DAS_II / GRS
Comprehensive Test of Nonverbal Intelligence (CTONI) / Discover Teaching / KABC-II
Differential Abilities Scales- Second Edition (DAS-II), School- Aged Version / KABC-II
KOI / KOI
Product/Project - Rubric
Gifted Rating Scales (GRS) / NNAT / Special Education Data
Hispanic Bilingual Gifted Screening Instruments / Positive Traits / SB 5
Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition (KABC-II)
Kingore Observation Inventory (KOI) / Renzulli Scales
Slocumb-Payne Environmental Opportunities Profile / WISC-IV
WPPSI-III
Naglieri Nonverbal Abilities Test (NNAT) / Slocumb-Payne Teacher Perception Inventory
Ravens Non-Verbal Abilities Test / SB 5
Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales: Fifth Edition (SB 5) / WISC-IV / Creative – Instruments to collect Data
Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (UNIT) / WPPSI-III / KOI
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children- Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) / Renzulli Scales
Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence- Third Edition (WPPSI-III)
Woodcock-Johnson III, Spanish Edition
GT/forms/profile_matrix