TAYABAS WESTERN ACADEMY

Founded 1928
Candelaria, Quezon

Self-Learning Module

Name of John Paul M. Arevalo Instructor Jessie V. Vasquez

Student:
Department College of Education Course/Year
Module No. 7 Units
Duration Week 7 Days (Time)
Date Submitted Subject Code
Description Foundation of Education and Inclusive Special Education 
Topic Students Who are Gifted and Talented

Guidelines/Directions:
1. This self- learning module will be uploaded on the created Facebook group
every Monday of the week until 8:30 in the evening. This can also be
distributed through your thumb drive. Printed learning materials will also be
given to the students who would like to have.
2. Links/videos mentioned in this module are all downloaded and can be found
on your thumb drive.
3. For those who have their Facebook account and reliable internet connection,
send/upload your accomplished activities on the Facebook group created by
your instructor.
4. For those who can’t submit their work on the Facebook group, do all the
written activities in 1 whole sheet of yellow paper while the video
presentations will be submitted using your thumb drive.
5. Submission will be every Saturday of the week or as agreed in our GC.
6. For inquiries or clarifications, message me at 09178553051.

Introduction
This chapter covers the central concepts on giftedness and talent, theories and
definitions of human intelligence with an expanded presentation on the multiple
intelligence’s theory by Howard Gardner. The groundwork for a lifetime of intelligence
traces the essential concepts on the development of the brain, the “seat” of man’s
intellectual capacity. The emerging paradigms and various definitions of giftedness and
talent, the characteristics of gifted and talented persons, assessment procedures and
instructional systems are presented as well. 

Learning Targets

At the end of this week, the students are expected to:

 1. Discuss the nature of the human intellect as expounded by philosophers,
psychologists and educators through the centuries;
2. Enumerate and describe the theories and definitions of intelligence;
3. Enumerate and discuss the multiple intelligences of a person;
4. Discuss the concepts on brain development before and after birth;
5. Enumerate the ways and means by which intellectual development may be
enhanced;
6. Compare and contrast the various definitions of giftedness and talent;
7. Enumerate and discuss the characteristics of gifted and talented children;
8. Describe the assessment procedures, curricular program and instructional
systems for gifted and talented students; and
9. Derive information from the achievements of the great people of the 20 th century.

Engage
Activity 1: (What do you think?)

HOW WILL YOU DESCRIBE STUDENTS WHO ARE GIFTED AND TALENTED?
Student who are gifted and talented are excel to their schooling wherein they are
advance on their classmate in terms of academic perspective. They easily determined
because of their special works that made that not all student can do. Almost those
students are participating academic activities such as math quiz, science invention,
journalism and other that they represent their schools.

Explore
Activity 2:
Analyze and explain the image above using 5 or more sentences.

The image represents on what a person has a multiple intelligence capable. They have
multi-ability in different perspective of knowledge such as they are athlete at the same
time they are excel in academic. People who have multiple intelligence acquire a multi-
tasking works. They are good enough to do those activities in their full potential without
having pushing their self hardly to do that. Also, they are flexible enough to manage
their capability to do a great thing that can develop their wellbeing because as they are
facing those thing they absorbs ideas in order to develop and enhance their ability that
other on their same age cannot do.

Explain
Read the discussion on book on pages (120-150).

Activity 3:
For further information watch and understand the video about Students
Who are Gifted and Talented. You can watch it using this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjVsRci3GNY

Extend/Elaborate
Activity 4:
Read and understand the following questions. Make sure to elaborate your answers on
each question.

1. Discuss the nature of the human intellect as expounded by philosophers,

psychologists and educators through the centuries.

The nature of the human intellect has fascinated scholars and became the subject of
debates, studies and propositions as early as during the time of the Greek philosophers
Plato and Aristotle. When the field of psychology began to emerge in the 17th and 18th
centuries as a discipline separate from philosophy, mathematics and biology, individuals
such as John Locke, Charles Darwin, Francis Galton and Charcot continued to
influence the study of intelligence. A number of prominent European schools of
psychology flourished until the early part of the 19th century. Some American
psychologists studied in Europe and returned home to establish influential psychology
programs in the United States. The study of intelligence gained popularity and greatly
influenced by the works of Wilhelm Wundt, James MsKeen Cattell, G.S Hall and
Hermann Ebbinghaus.
As the students of the great schools began to form their own programs, the
number of theoretical and empirical incestiagtions of intelligence increased. The
prominent psychologist of the 20th century was Edward L. Thorndike, Alfred Binet,
Pearson, Charles Spearman, Goddard, stern, Theodore Simon. Yerkes, Lewis, Terman,
Hollingworth, Goodenough, Vigotsky, and Jean Piaget.
In the latter part of the 20th century, new statistical designs and modern
experimental strategies were developed that made psychological testing popular in
most western countries. The theory of multiple intelligences began to appear,
particularly in the work of Thurstone and Guilford. The prominent theorists were Burt,
Thurstone, Wechsler, Guilford, Vernon, Hunt, Anna Anastasi, Thorndike, Inhelder,
Taylor and Eysenck.
Current trends in intelligence theory and research involve the formation of
more complex multiple intelligence theories. Standardized tests to measure intelligence
are used only as one of the sources of data about mental ability. The fields of genetics
and neurological research methodologist on the measurement of intelligence have
generated a number of factors on intelligence. In addition to mental ability, other data
are considered simultaneously in determining the intelligence level of the person. Data
are derived from the environment, biological factors and psychological aspects of the
intellect. The prominent theorists in the present movement include R. Catell (1905-
1998), Caroll (1916- ), Jensen (1923- ), Kamin (1924- ), Renzulli (1936- ), Gardner
(1943- ), and Sternberg (1949- )
While a big number of definitions of intelligence have been published,
there seems to be consensus or agreement on what intelligence actually is. Catell,
(1971) defines intelligence as a composite or combination of human traits which
includes the capacity for insight into complex relationships, all of the process involved in
abstract thinking, and a capacity to acquire new capacity.

2. Enumerate and describe the theories and definitions of intelligence.

1. The Binet-Simon scale (1890’s)

The modern approach to understand the concept of intelligence began with the
work of Alfred Binet,a French psychologist (1857-1911) and his colleague, Theodore
Simon (1873-1961). Binet was hired by the Paris school system to develop tests that
would identify children who were not learning and would not benefit from further
education. Together, Binet and Simon developed and co-authored a test to roughly
measure the intellectual development of young children between the ages of three to
twelve. They wanted to find a way to measure the ability of children to think and reason.
Binet developed a test that asked children to follow commands, copy patterns, name
objects and put things in order or arrange them properly. From Binet’s work, the term
“intelligence quotient” or IQ evolved. The IQ is the ratio of “mental age” to chronological
age with 100 as the average. So, an 8-year-old who passes the test for 8-year-olds has
an IQ of 100 which is the average for his or her chronological age. Meanwhile, an 8-
year-old who passes the test for 10-year-olds has an IQ of 10/8 x 100 or 125. This
child’s IQ is above the average for his or her chronological age. He or she is brighter or
more superior than other children his or her age. Binet’s and Simon’s work influenced
the growth of the intelligence testing movement.

2. Spearman’s Two-factor Theory of Intelligence (1904)

Charles Spearman, a British psychologist (1863-1945), advanced the two-factor

theory of intelligence “g” and “s”. Thus, “the performance of any intellectual act requires
some combination of “g” or general factor which is available to the same degree for all
intellectual acts, and of “s” or specific factors which are specific to that act and which
varies in strength from one act to another.”
The theory explains that if one knows how a person performs on one task that is
highly saturated with “g”, one can safely predict a similar level of performance for
another highly “g” saturated task. Prediction of performance on tasks with high “s”
factors is less accurate. Nevertheless, since “g” pervades all tasks, prediction will be
significantly better than chance. Thus, the most important information to have about a
person’s intellectual ability is an estimate of his “g”.

3. Terman’s Stanford Binet Individual Intelligence Test (1906)

Lewis Madison Terman, an American cognitive psychologist (1877-1956), published

a revised and perfected Binet-Simon Scale for American populations in 1906 while he
was at Stanford University. In 1916 he adopted William Stern’s suggestion that the ratio
between mental and chronological age be taken as a unitary measure if intelligence
multiplied by 100 to get rid of the decimals. The resulting intelligence quotient became
known as the IQ. The classic formula for the IQ is: IQ= mental age divided by
chronological age x 100. By far, the Terman’s Stanford Binet Individual Intelligence Test
is considered as the best available individual test of intelligence.

4. Thorndike’s Stimulus Response Theory

Edward L. Thorndike, an American psychologist (1874-1949), and his students

used objective measurements of intelligence in human subjects as early as 1903.
During the 1920’s he developed a multifactor rest of intelligence that consisted of
completion, arithmetic, vocabulary and directions tests (CAVD). The logic behind the
CAVD tests eventually became the foundation of modern intelligence tests.
Thorndike drew an important distinction among three broad classes of intellectual
functioning: abstract intelligence that is measured by standard intelligence tests,
mechanical intelligence which is the ability to visualize relationships among objects and
understand how the physical world works, and social intelligence which is the ability to
function successfully in interpersonal situations.
He proposed that abstract intelligence has four dimensions, namely, altitude or
the complexity or difficulty of tasks one can perform, width or the variety of tasks of a
given difficulty, area of which is the function of width and altitude, and speed which is
the number of task one can complete in a given time.
 Thorndike is cited for his work on what he considered as two most basic
intelligences: trial and error and stimulus response association. His proposition stated
that stimulus response connections that are repeated are strengthened while those that
are not used are weakened.

5. L.L Thurstone’s Multiple Factors Theory of Intelligence (1938)

Louis L. Thgurstone was an American psychometrician (1887-1955) who studied

intelligence test and perception through factor analysis. His theory stated that
intelligence is made up of several primary mental abilities rather than a general factor
and several specific factors. His Multiple factors theory of Intelligence identified the
seven primary mental abilities as verbal comprehension, word fluency, number facility,
spatial visualization, associative memory, perceptual speed, and reasoning. He
developed the Test of primary Mental Abilities in 1938. Thurstone discovered later on
that the abilities are not completely independent of one another. Instead, there were
modest correlations among the abilities.
Thurstone was among the first to propose and demonstrate that there are
numerous ways in which a person can be intelligent. His multiple factors theory has
been used in the development of intelligence tests that yield a profile of the person’s
performance in each of the seven primary mental abilities.

6. Catell’s Theory on Fluid and crystallized Intelligence

Raymond B. Catell, a British-American psychologist (1905-1998), theorized that

there are two types of intelligence.
Fluid intelligence is essentially non-verbal and relatively culture free. Fluid
intelligence involves adaptive and new learning capabilities, related to mental
operations and processes on a capacity, decay, selection and storage information. This
type of intelligence is more dependent on the physiological structures or parts of the
brain that are responsible to intellectual behavior. It increases until adolescence, then
goes through a plateau and begins to gradually decline with the degeneration of the
brain’s physiological structures.
Crystallized intelligence develops through the exercise of fluid intelligence. It is
the product of the acquisition of knowledge and skills that are strongly dependent upon
exposure to culture. It is related to mental products and achievements and highly
influenced by formal and informal educational factors throughout the life span.
Crystallized intelligence continues to increase through middle adulthood.

7. Guilford’s Theory on the Structure of the Intellect (1967)

J.P. Guilford, an American psychologist, advanced a general theory of human

intelligence whose major application or use is for educational research, personnel
selection and placement and the education of gifted and talented children. The theory
on the structure of the intellect (SOI) advances that human intelligence is composed of
180 separate mental abilities (the initial count was 120) that have been identified
through factor analysis.
 The mental abilities are composites of three separate dimensions, namely,
contents, operations and products.

The four types of contents are:

1. figural or the properties of stimuli experienced through the senses- visual,

auditory, olfactory, gustatory and kinesthetic. Examples are shapes and forms, sizes,
colors, sounds, tastes, temperature, intensity, volume;
2. symbolic or letters, numbers, symbols, designs;
3. semantic or words and ideas; and
4. behavioral or actions and expressions of thoughts and idea.

The five kinds of operations are:

1. cognition or the ability to gain, recognize and discover knowledge;

2. memory or the ability to retain, store, retrieve and recall all the contents of
thoughts;
3. divergent production or the ability to produce a single best solution to a problem
4. convergent production or the ability to produce a single best solution to a
problem; and
5. evaluation or the ability to render judgment and decide whether the intellectual
contents are correct or wrong, good or bad.

The six kinds of products are:

1. units that come in single number, letter or word;
2. classes or a higher order concept, for example, men and women people;
3. relations or connections between and among classes and concepts;
4. systems or the process of ordering or classification of relations;
5. transformation or the process of altering or restructuring of intellectual content;
and
6. implication or the process making inferences from separate pieces if information.
Guilford developed a wide variety of psychometric tests to measure the specific mental
abilities predicted by the theory. The tests provided the operational definitions of the
mental abilities proposed by the theory.
The following examples illustrate three closely related abilities that differ in terms of
operation, content and product.

1. Evaluation of semantic units or EMU is measured by the ideational fluency tests

in which respondents are asked to make judgments about concepts. For example,
“Which of the following objects best satisfies the criteria hard and round: an iron, a
button, a tennis ball, or a light bulb?”
2. Divergent production of semantic units or DMU would require the respondent to
list all the items he or she can think of that are hard and round.
3. divergent production of symbolic units or DPU involves a different content
category. For example: list all the words that end in ion.

8. Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory of intelligence (1982)

Robert Sternberg of Yale University theorized that intelligence is a fixed capacity

of a person. Hence, with higher intellectual capabilities, as in the case of children and
youth who are gifted and talented, almost every task can be achieved at a high level of
performance. The capabilities that underlie intelligence will enable a highly intelligent
child at any age, to do better than
His peers or age mates. Intellectual abilities must increase with age, given the
supportive environment and effective teaching learning conditions.
The triarchic theory of intelligence seeks to explain in an integrative way the
relationship between:
1. Intelligence and the internal world of the individual, or the mental mechanisms
that underlie intelligent behavior.
2. intelligence and external world of the individual, or the use of these mental
mechanisms in everyday in life in order to attain an intelligent fit to the environment; and
3. intelligence and experience, or the mediating role of one’s passage through life
between the internal and external worlds of the individuals.

Sternberg calls his theory triarchic because intelligence has three main parts or
dimensions: contextual part, an experiential part, and a componential part.

Contextual intelligence emphasizes intelligence in its socio-cultural contexts. Thus,

intelligence for a child requires adaptive behavior (children’s basic cognitive skills
according to Gesell) that is not required of an older person. Similarly, it may be stated
that intelligence for a Filipino child, especially those who are deprived of the basic
needs requires adaptive behavior that is not required of an American child. Intelligence
for children in rural areas requires adaptive behavior a required of children who live in
urban areas. Persons who are high on the contextual dimension of intelligence quickly
recognize what factors influence success on various tasks. They are adept at both
adapting to and shaping their environment so that they can accomplish their goals.

Experiential intelligence emphasizes insight and the ability to formulate new ideas and
combine seemingly unrelated facts or information. Sternberg emphasizes the role of
experience. He says that the habitual, highly practiced ways of dealing with the
environment are not the true indicators of intelligence. Rather, it is the way a person
responds to an event that is new, novel and even unexpected that shows how smart he
or she is.

Componential intelligence emphasizes the effectiveness of information processing.

Sternberg defines component as the underlying cognitive mechanisms that carry out the
adaptive behavior to novel situations. The cognitive mechanisms are equivalent to the
skills, knowledge and competencies that a person would have required mainly through
education and experience. There are two kinds of components performance
components and metacomponents.
Performance components are used in the actual execution of the tasks. They include
encoding, comparing, chunking and triggering actions and speech. The
metacomponents are the higher order executive processes used in planning, monitoring
and evaluating one’s working memory program.
Sternberg has identified six significant metacomponents. As he emphasized time and
again, “metacomponents form the basis for developmental changes in intelligence. All
activation and feedback are filtered through these elements, and if they do not perform
their function well, then it will not matter very much what the other kinds of components
do”.
1. recognition of what has to be done; understanding the task at hand;
2. selecting performance components and encoding important features of a task;
3. selecting an appropriate mental representation visually or verbally;
4. organizing performance components by formulating plans for organizing and
sequencing the steps or procedures in the process;
5. deciding how to allocate attention and resources; and
6. monitoring one’s performance.

Persons who are high in componential intelligence do very well in abstract

thinking and are able to process information effectively. They think analytically, critically
and creatively.

9. Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences (1983)

Howard Gardner is a psychologist and professor at Harvard University Graduate

School of Education and director of Project Zone Based on his studies of many7 people
from different walks of life in everyday circumstances and professions, he developed his
breakthrough theory of multiple intelligences or MI. he did a massive synthesis of a, lot
of research including brain research, evolutionary research, and genetic research. He
did brain research on stroke victims, prodigies, people with autism and even idiot
“savants”. He had authored 20 books and hundreds of articles on MI. Gardner was in
Manila in April, 2005 for the first Philippine convention on Mi with the theme “Changing
minds: teaching and Parenting for the 21st Century”.

3. Enumerate and discuss the multiple intelligences of a person.

The MI theory advances that in teaching anything, a parent or teacher can draw
on a child’s many intelligences which are linguistic, logical-mathematical, bodily-
kinesthetic, spatial, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist. His theory
rejects the idea of central intelligence, rather, as the author says, it subscribes to: each
his own learning style”.

Gardner emphasizes that MI is originally not an educational theory. It is a theory

on how the mind is organized and developed. As opposed to general intelligence which
implies that there is one “computer” in the brain that determines whether a person will
be competent or incompetent at everything, he describes the mind as having 7, 8, 9 or
even a dozen different “computers”. Some people have better computers than others
because of who their parents are, where they live and how they were trained.

1. Linguistic Intelligence

Linguistic intelligence is the ability to use to excite, please, convince, stimulate or

convey information. The indicators of linguistic intelligence are manifested by persons
who:
• Ask a lot of questions, particularly “why” and “what if” questions.
• Have a good vocabulary, enjoy talking, can spell easily.
• Enjoy playing with words, word games, word puzzles, rhymes
• Enjoy reading, love stories, jokes, riddles
• Like to write
• Can talk about language skills

Linguistic intelligence can be developed through the use of the following activities:
reading fiction and nonfiction, literary work, newspapers, magazines, reports,
biographies, bibliographies, the internet; engaging in storytelling, debates, plays,
listening to audiotapes, watching films, writing reports, stories, and speeches.

2. Logical-Mathematical Intelligence
Logical-mathematical intelligence is the ability to explore patterns, categories and
relationships by manipulating objects or symbols and to experiment in controlled,
orderly ways. The indicators of logical-mathematical intelligence are manifested by
persons who:
• Want to know how things work.
• Are interested in “if… then” logic
• Oriented towards rule-based activities
• Play with numbers, enjoy solving problems
• Love to collect and classify things

Logical-mathematical intelligence can be enhanced with the use of the following

activities: mazes, puzzles, outlines, matrices, sequences, codes, patterns, logic,
analogies, timelines, equations, games, formulas, theorems, calculations, computations,
syllogisms, and probabilities.

Perhaps who excel in the following professions have high logical-mathematical

intelligence: mathematicians, scientist, computer engineers and programmers, doctors,
astronomers, inventors, accountants, lawyers, economists, detectives, and trivia
champions.

3. Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence

Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence refers to the ability to use fine and gross motor
skills, in sports, the performing arts and crafts production. The indicators of this
component of the multiple intelligences are observed among persons who:
• Have a good sense of balance, good eye-hand coordination
• Have sense of rhythm, graceful in movement
• Communicate ideas through gestures, body movement and facial expressions
“read” body language
• Have early ease in manipulating objects and toys
• Solve problems through “doing”
The following activities develop bodily kinesthetic intelligence: role-playing,
dramatization, skits, mimes, body language, gestures, facial expressions, dancing,
sports, games, experiments, laboratory works.

Persons who are successful in the following professions have highly bodily-
kinesthetic intelligence; ballet and folk dancers, choreographers, sculptors, professional
athletes, gymnasts, surgeons, calligraphers, jewelers, watch makers, carpenters and
circus performers.

4. Spatial Intelligence

Spatial intelligence is the ability to perceive and mentally manipulate a firm or

object, perceived and create tension, balance and composition in a visual or spatial
display.

Some indicators of this aspect of MI are manifested by persons who:

• Like to draw, doodle, sketch
• Have a keen eye for detail
• Like to take things apart, like to build things
• Have a good sense of relating parts to the whole
• Enjoy puzzles, riddles
• Remember places by description or image, can interpret maps
• Enjoy orienteering, mechanically adept

Some of the activities that enhance spatial intelligence are: illustrations, constructions,
maps, paintings, drawings, mosaics, sketches, cartoons, sculptures, storyboards nand
videotapes.

Persons who are successful in the following professions have high spatial intelligence:
urban planners, architects, engineers, surveyors, explorers, navigators, mechanics,
curators, map designers, fashion designer, florists, interior designers, visual artist,
muralists, photographers, movie directors, set designers, chess players and cartoonist.

5. Musical Intelligence

Musical intelligence is the ability to enjoy, perform or compose a musical piece. The
indicators of musical intelligence are shown by persons who:
• Have sensitivity to sound patterns, hum or move rhythmically
• Capture the essence of a beat and adjust movement patterns according to
changes
• Have a good sense of pitch
• Hum tunes, can discriminate among sounds
• Play with sounds, remember tunes and sound patterns

Persons who succeed in the following occupations have high musical intelligence:
composers, musicians, conductors, critics, opera artists, singers, rappers, instrument
makers and players, and sound recording artists.

6. Interpersonal Intelligence

Interpersonal intelligence is the ability to understand and get along with others.
The indicators of the multiple intelligences are observed in persons who:
• Demonstrates empathy towards others, feel so much for others
• Are sensitive to the feelings of others
• Act as mediator or counselor to others
• Relate as well to peers and adults alike, like to be with other people
• Are admired by peers, make friends easily
• Display skills of leadership
• Work cooperatively with others
• Enjoy cooperative and group activities

The types of activities that will develop interpersonal intelligence include group projects
and charts, communication, social interaction, dialogs, conversations, debates,
arguments, consensus building, group work on murals and mosaics, round robins,
games, challenges and sports.
People who succeed in the fields of endeavor have high interpersonal intelligence:
teachers, social workers, doctors and nurses, anthropologists, counselors,
priest/ministers, nuns, ombudsman, managers, politicians, sales person and tour
guides.

7. Intrapersonal Intelligence

Intrapersonal intelligence is the ability to gain access to and understand one’s

inner feelings, dreams and ideas. The indicators of this element of multiple intelligences
are evidenced by people who:
• Are goal-oriented, develop plans carefully
• Are aware of their strengths and weaknesses, confident of their own abilities and
accept their limitations
• Are self-regulating and self-directing, do not need to be told what to do
• Motivate themselves to engage in projects
• Work towards the achievement of one’s goals
• Express preferences for particular activities
• Communicate their feelings
• Engage in creative thinking, novel and original ideas,
• Keep hobbies, productive pursuits and diaries

The activities that will enhance interpersonal skills are intuition building, creative
and critical thinking, goal setting, reflection and self-meditation, self-assessment,
affirmation, keeping journals, logs and reflectionnaires, “I” statements, discussions,
interpretation and creative expression of values, philosophical thoughts and ideas,
quotations.

8. Naturalist Intelligence

Naturalist intelligence is the most recent addition to the original list of seven
multiple intelligences. Naturalist intelligence refers to the person’s ability to identify and
classify patterns in nature. In prehistoric times when people relied on hunting animals
and gathering plants, naturalist intelligence was used to sort what animals and plants
were edible or not. At present, a person uses his or her naturalist intelligence in the
ways he or she relates to the environment. A person who has naturalist intelligence
abilities is likely to be sensitive to changes in flora and fauna, weather patterns and
similar environmental factors.

4. Discuss the concepts on brain development before and after birth.

There are essential concepts on brain development “in utero” or in the mother’s womb
that every special education student must understand (Healy, 1996).

• Life begins in the mother’s uterus eighteen to twenty-four hours after fertilization-
the process where the spermatozoa or sperm cell from the father and the ovum from the
mother unite to form the zygote, the one-celled organism that will develop for the next
nine months into the embryo, the fetus, and finally will be born as the infant.
• The zygote undergoes meiosis or cell division from two, four, sixteen until there
are millions of human cells, clusters of which are predetermined to develop into the
central nervous system, the skeletal system.
• The brain cells begin to form as early as three weeks after fertilization had taken
place.
• The pregnant mother’s condition and the uterine environment exert tremendous
influences on brain development. Studies show that the growing brain is highly
susceptible to changes in the developing organism. There are pieces of evidence that
specific academic abilities such as reading or mathematics may be affected by
hormones secreted during pregnancy. Poor maternal nutrition and lack of protein retard
brain growth. A pregnant women’s heavy use of alcohol, prohibited drugs, even
common drugs for headaches, heartburn, diarrhea without doctor’s prescription can
affect brain development.
• The natural pattern of brain development shows that the brain is organized in
systems of connections that do increasingly complex functions as they mature mainly
from inside to outside and from back to front.
• The neurons or brain cells begin to form as early as three weeks after
fertilization, multiplying more rapidly than the other cells of the body. A thin layer of
neurons in the developing embryo folds inwards and rises to a fluid-filled cylinder known
as the neural tube. The cells produced in the neural tube will migrate to other locations
and accurately lay down the connections to link one part of the brain to another. In
addition, the embryonic brain must construct a variety of temporary structures, including
the neural tube that will eventually disappear. The instructions programmed into the
genes guide the neurons in their long migration to become specific parts of the body
later on.
• Starting at the top of the spinal cord, the fetal brain first develops brain stem
structures for reflexes and basic motor coordination. Rocking movements help develop
part of this complex. As the mother moves about, the fetus is rocked and the
movements add to the stimulation. The cerebellum and the vestibular system which is
linked to the balance mechanism of the ear undergird the later development of higher
cognitive skills.
• Development of much of the brain’s physical structure called “hard wiring” starts
at this time directed by a complex genetic program (Time Magazine, 1998). Neurons,
the future thinking cells, are produced in abundance. Many neurons migrate to particular
sections of the brain to form part of the subsystem that will later control reflexes,
voluntary body movements, perception, language and thinking. Some neurons fail to
attach themselves to any area and disintegrate or disappear. No one yet understands
how these neurons know where to go, or why some integrate. What is known is that the
process of cell differentiation and migration determines the future structure of the brain.
• Ten to twelve weeks after conception during the first trimester or three months of
pregnancy, the neurons that carry electrical messages through the nervous system and
brain send pulsing staccato bursts of electricity. The distinctive coordinated waves of
neural activity change the shape of the brain and carve mental circuits into patterns that
over time will enable the newborn infant to perceive a father’s voice, a mother’s touch, a
colorful mobile moving over the crib. Of all the discoveries in neuroscience recently, the
most breathtaking is the finding that the electrical activity of the brain cells changes the
physical structure of the brain. For the rhythmic firing of neurons is no longer assumed
as the by-product of building the brain but it is an essential process that takes place in
the utero.
• The growth spurts in the formation of neurons or brain cells lasts from the second
trimester of pregnancy 4th to the 6th month) until the age of two. Meanwhile, glial cells
begin to form and nourish the neurons and hold them together.

The cell systems are the raw materials for the normal development of the brain.
Any disturbance in the process may cause cranial malformation, a learning disability of
mental retardation.

Studies on the impact of the mother’s emotional state of brain development

suggest that pregnancies marked by excessive fear, anger or stress may produce
irritable infants. Intense feelings release chemicals that are passed from the mother’s
blood stream into the infant’s circulatory system. Children of depressed mothers have
slightly altered patterns of brain activity that may put the infant at risk for depression.
Later on, these children may exhibit disposition, impulsivity and learning difficulties.
Fortunately, the brain is malleable to experience and much can be done after birth to
prevent the occurrence of the problems.

Modern technology makes it possible to study the “seat” of intelligence, the

human brain, directly. Neurology or brain investigations that are noninvasive or
harmless are done with the aid of computerized scanners and techniques for measuring
the intensity of electrical impulses or chemical changes. The television screen shows
detailed views of the brain in minute cross-sections. The brain at work or the child’s
thinking in motion while reading, working on mathematics and science, and emoting on
stage can be viewed on the TV screen. At present, there is a large body of information
about the structure of the brain and how it functions. Future neurological research
promises to revolutionize the knowledge on how learning takes place.

Neurological studies show that conducive home environments correlate positively

with school achievement. Early childhood education influences better intellectual
growth. Likewise, research findings indicate that children need different types of
learning at different ages. Early age-appropriate experiences provide little children with
a strong base for the acquisition of later skills.

The old debate on whether heredity/nature or environment/nurture play the major

role in cognitive development had long laid to rest. Experts agree that the infant does
not come to the world as the product of heredity or a blank slate at the mercy of the
environment. Rather, the focus of neurological research centers on the ways in which
genetics and environment should interact for intelligence to develop to the highest
possible level.

Studies show that the interaction between genetic traits and experiences is
constant from the time of conception. Every baby inherits a physical brain structure as
well as certain chemical and electrical response patterns that strongly influence the
ways in which the brain responds to environmental stimuli while in the mother’s womb
and after birth. A current study shows that a child’s personal tempo- the natural place of
responding and the speed of carrying out activities- seem to be genetically determined.

5. Enumerate the ways and means by which intellectual development may be

enhanced.

Modern technology makes it possible to study the “seat” of intelligence, the

human brain, directly. Neurology or brain investigations that are noninvasive or
harmless are done with the aid of computerized scanners and techniques for measuring
the intensity of electrical impulses or chemical changes. The television screen shows
detailed views of the brain in minute cross-sections. The brain at work or the child’s
thinking in motion while reading, working on mathematics and science, and emoting on
stage can be viewed on the TV screen. At present, there is a large body of information
about the structure of the brain and how it functions. Future neurological research
promises to revolutionize the knowledge on how learning takes place.

Neurological studies show that conducive home environments correlate positively

with school achievement. Early childhood education influences better intellectual
growth. Likewise, research findings indicate that children need different types of
learning at different ages. Early age-appropriate experiences provide little children with
a strong base for the acquisition of later skills.

The old debate on whether heredity/nature or environment/nurture play the major

role in cognitive development had long laid to rest. Experts agree that the infant does
not come to the world as the product of heredity or a blank slate at the mercy of the
environment. Rather, the focus of neurological research centers on the ways in which
genetics and environment should interact for intelligence to develop to the highest
possible level.

Studies show that the interaction between genetic traits and experiences is
constant from the time of conception. Every baby inherits a physical brain structure as
well as certain chemical and electrical response patterns that strongly influence the
ways in which the brain responds to environmental stimuli while in the mother’s womb
and after birth. A current study shows that a child’s personal tempo- the natural place of
responding and the speed of carrying out activities- seem to be genetically determined.

6. Compare and contrast the various definitions of giftedness and talent.

Through the years, the concept on intellectual giftedness had changed as shown
in the following figure (Heward, 2003).

Old Concepts Emerging Paradigm

Giftedness is high IQ Many types of Giftedness
Trait-based Qualities-based
 Subgroup elitism Individual Excellence
Innate, “In there” Based on Context
Test-Driven Achievement- Driven, “What you do”
Is Gifted
Authoritarian, “You are or Are not Collaborative, determined by
Gifted” consultation
School-Oriented Field and Domain oriented
Ethnocentric Diverse
Federal or American Government’s Definitions

The first federal definition of the gifted and the talented was contained in the
1972 Marland report. Gifted and talented children are capable of high performance
and demonstrate potential ability in any of the following six areas:
 General intellectual ability
 Specific academic aptitude
 Creative or productive thinking
 Leadership ability
 Ability in the visual or performing arts
 Psychomotor ability

The Gifted and Talented Children’s Act of 1978 defined gifted and talented
children as those “possessing demonstrated or potential abilities that give evidence of
high performance capability in such areas as intellectual, creative, specific, academic or
leadership ability, or in the performing or visual arts, and who, by reason thereof require
services or activities not ordinarily provided by the school.” The definition encompasses
almost all of the areas where a person can demonstrate outstanding performance.
Almost all of the states have built their programs for gifted and talented leaders around
the federal definition.

The 1991 “Report on National Excellence: A case for Developing America’s

Talent” deleted the term gifted I and used outstanding talent and exceptional talent
instead. The definition stated that talent occurs in all groups across all cultures and is
not necessarily revealed in test scores but in a person’s high-performance capability” in
the intellectual, creative and artistic realms. Giftedness is and to connote “a mature
power rather than a developing ability.”

Renzulli’s three-Trait definition. Renzulli’s 1978 three-trait definition of

giftedness continues to be cited in special education literature. The definition states that
giftedness results from the interaction of: (1) above-average general abilities; (2) a high
level of task commitment; and (3) creativity. Gifted and talented children are those:
possessing or capable of developing this composite set of traits and applying them to
any potentially valuable area of human performance. Children who manifest or are
capable of developing an interaction among the three clusters require a wide variety of
educational opportunities and services that are not ordinarily provided through regular
instructional programs.
Piirto’s Pyramid Model of Talent Development

Piirto’s 1999 definition states that the gifted are “those individuals who, by way of
having certain learning characteristics such as superior memory, observational powers,
curiosity, creativity and the ability to lean school-related subject matters rapidly and
accurately with a minimum of drill and repetition, have a right to an education that is
differentiated according to those characteristics,” Piirto further states that even if gifted
students do not become producers of knowledge or makers of novelty, special
education should train them to become adults who will produce knowledge or make new
artistic and social products.

As shown in figure 37, Piirto’s pyramid model is composed of; (1) a foundation of
genetic endowment; (2) personality attributes such as drive, resilience, intuition,
perception, intensity, and the like; (3) the minimum intelligence level necessary for
function in the domain in which talent is demonstrated; (4) talent in s specific domain
such as mathematics, writing, visual arts, music, science or athletics and; (5) the
environmental influences of five suns: the sun of home, community and culture, school,
chance and gender. Which talent is developed depends on the “thorn” of passion,
calling or sense of vocation.

Maker’s Problem-Solving Perspective. Another definition of giftedness and

talent advanced by Maker in 1996 incorporates high intelligence, high creativity, and
excellent problem-solving skills. He enumerates the following characteristics of a gifted
person: a problem solver- one who enjoys the challenge of complexity and persists until
the problem is solved in a satisfying way. Such an individual is capable of (a) creating a
new or more clear definition of an existing problem, (b)devising new or more efficient or
effective methods, and (c) reaching solutions that may be different from the usual, but
are recognized as being effective than pervious solutions.

7. Enumerate and discuss the characteristics of gifted and talented children.

Highly gifted students, according to Silverman’s study (1995) have IQ scores 3

standard deviations or greater above the mean. The score is greater than 145, or 35 to
55 points more or even higher than the average IQ scores of 90 to 110. Among
American children, there is only 1 child in 10 000. Silverman found the following
characteristics among these highly gifted individuals:
 Intense intellectual curiosity
 Fascination with words or ideas
 Perfectionism
 Need for precision
 Learning in great intuitive leaps
 Intense need for mental stimulation
 Difficulty conforming to the thinking of others
 Early moral and existential concern
  Tendency toward introversion

There are times when the characteristics of gifted and talented persons are
misinterpreted as bordering on abnormal behavior, aggressiveness, antisocial
behavior and the like.

Shaklee (1989, cited in Heward, 2003) listed the identities of young gifted and
talented children as follows:
 Exceptional learner in the acquisition and retention of knowledge:
a. Exceptional memory
b. Learns quickly and easily
c. Advanced understanding/ meaning of area
 Exceptional user of knowledge in the application and comprehension of
knowledge
a. Exceptional use of knowledge
b. Advanced use of symbol systems- expressive and complex
c. Demands a reason for unexplained events
d. Reasons well in problem-solving-draws from previous knowledge and
transfer it to other areas.
 Exceptional generator of knowledge- individual and creative attributes
a. Highly creative behavior in areas of interest and talent
b. Does not conform to typical ways of thinking, perceiving
c. Enjoys self-expression of ideas, feelings or beliefs
d. Keen sense of humor that reflects advanced, unusual comprehension of
relationships and meaning
e. Highly developed curiosity about cause, future and the unknown

 Exceptional motivation- individual motivational attributes

a. Perfectionism: striving to achieve high standards, especially in areas of talent
and interest
b. Shows initiative, self- directed
c. High level of inquiry and reflection
d. Long attention span when motivated
e. Leadership- desire and ability to lead
f. Intense desire to know

8. Describe the assessment procedures, curricular program and instructional systems

for gifted and talented students.

Similar to the screening and location and identification and assessment of

exceptional children, the following processes are employed:
1. pre-referral intervention
Exceptional children are identified as early as possible. Teachers are asked to
nominate students who may possess the characteristics of giftedness and talent
through the use of a Teacher Nomination Form.
2. multifactored evaluation
Information is gathered from a variety of sources using the following materials:
• group and individual intelligence tests
• performance in the school-based achievement tests
• permanent records, performance in previous grades, awards received
• portfolios of student work
• parent, peer, self-nomination

Differentiated Curriculum and Instructional Systems

The skills in the Basic Elementary Curriculum of the De3partment of Education are
intended for average learners and lack the competencies that match the learning
characteristics of high-ability students. A study of American gifted and talented students
found that 60% of all grade four students in a school district have already mastered
much of the content of the curriculum. Majority of the students scored 80% in a pretest
in mathematics even before the school year began. A differentiated curriculum that is
modified in depth and pace is used in special education programs for gifted and talented
students.

Curriculum compacting is the method of modifying the regular curriculum for certain
grade levels by compressing the content and skills that high-ability students are capable
of learning in a shorter period of time. At the Silahis Special education centers of manila
City schools, high-ability students study the fourth, fifth and sixth grades in a span of
two years.

Enrichment of the regular curriculum allows the students to study the

content at a greater depth both in the horizontal and vertical directions employing higher
order thinking skills. The differentiated curriculum goes beyond the so called “basic
learning competencies” or BLC and allows the student access to advanced topics of
interest to them. Meanwhile, acceleration modifies the pace or length of time which the
students gain the skills and competencies in the regular curriculum to accommodate the
enrichment process.

Horizontal enrichment adds more content and increases the learning

areas not found in the regular curriculum for the grade level. The students go beyond
the grade requirement and move on to study the subjects in the higher grades. For
example, mathematics subjects like Algebra or Geometry that are partly included in the
regular curriculum, or, advanced subjects like Trigonometry and calculus may be
included in the differentiated curriculum. Science, English and Filipino are enriched by
expanding the content covered in the same manner.

Vertical enrichment allows the students to engage in independent study,

experimentation and investigation of topics that interest them. Social studies and
Makabayan subjects lend themselves well to vertical enrichment activities that will give
the high-ability students opportunities to share their ideas in solving related problems at
home, the school and the community.

Most of the special education classes in the different regions of the country utilize
the self-contained class. High-ability students are enrolled in a special class that is
taught by a trained special education teacher. Mainstreaming activities are arranged so
that the students can socialize with their peers, share their knowledge and assist in peer
mentoring the slow learners.

Evaluate
Activity 5:
Read and Respond
Test on Content Knowledge
Test how much you have learned from this chapter by answering the following
questions:

1. What are the outstanding achievements of the talented children and youth in the
vignettes? What make them different from normal boys and girls?

Emil Justin Cebrian

Conversations have never been this interesting, Emil Justin Cebrian talks about his
admiration for the wisdom of Confucius, his thoughts on the spread of the SARS
epidemic, and his disapproval on the use of contraceptives- just like any learned,
opinionated adult. Except that he is only 22 years old.
Jon Brian Santiago Tiosin, whose first word when he was about four months old
is supercalifragilis… (go figure!) Has been ploughing through books at an age when
others were just getting past thumb-sucking. From the middle earth and Tolkien, he
claims to be now smitten with Michaelangelo and the History of Art. Bryan is only seven
years old.
Meet the gifted children. “alam ko naman, higher level ang pagiisip ko kaysa iba”.
Justin says, insisting that “most of the time, I don’t think about it. I’m really just an
ordinary kid”. Hardly. According to parents, Fred and Ceres, Emil Justin, named after
the great French sociologist Emil Durkheim, was already talking before he turned one.
He mastered the National Anthem, flags, capitals and Philippine presidents before he
turned two. After several accelerations, the award-winning story teller of Museo
Pambata is now an incoming senior at Arellano High School and, as usual, gunning for
the highest honors. When that happens, he will perhaps be the youngest valedictorian
in the country.

Omar Parrenas Rizwan

Omar Parrenas Rizwan of East Hanover, New Jersey is a Microsoft Certified

Professional (MCP), recognized and promoted by Microsoft as an expert with the
technical skills needed to design, implement, and support solutions with Microsoft
products.
His MCP lapel pin, certificate of excellence and official ID card identifies his
status to colleagues and clients, certifying that he has the skill to work in network
support for many companies.
The thing is, Omar just turned nine last April.
Omar is a computer whiz kid, the youngest Microsoft Certified Professional in the
world. Presently, he is taking a series of exams to become a Microsoft Certified
Systems Engineer by the time he turns ten in April 2004.
“I don’t know where that amazing talent came from because there was never a
genius in my family,” says Rizwan’s mother, Lea Parrenas-Rizwan, a registered nurse
and native of Pototan, Iloilo. My husband is a physician and he’s smart and intelligent,
but not that extraordinarily like Omar.”
Her Pakistani-American husband, Dr. Mohammad Rizwan, an internal medicine
specialist at New Jersey’s Columbus Hospital, is also in awe of his eldest son’s
advanced computer skills.
“Maybe it’s pure God-given talent,” Dr. Rizwan says. “And he deserves it because he’s
a very good boy and he works hard for it”.
Omar, his parents recall, began reading his ABC’s at 18 months. At age two and a half,
he could identify all car models. At three, he could read traffic signs and tell directions.
His interest in computer began at the age 5 when his father bought a computer book.
Omar who was already reading children’s books since he was three, saw the computer
book and the rest, as they say, is history.
“His learning of the computer was gradual, but his being a fast reader helped a lot.,”
says Mrs. Rizwan.
While other kids his age are throwing tantrums at Toys ‘R Us outlets, Omar would rather
be at Barnes and Noble, quietly browsing through computer books.
“It’s very seldom that he would ask for a toy, he’d rather read his computer books at
home,” says Dr. Rizwan. But he does have the complete Harry Potter series.
A week before turning nine, Omar took the MCP exam at Infotech Research
International, an East Hanover testing facility. Omar passed the test in half the time- 45
minutes- leaving his fellow examinees, all adults flabbergasted.
“Those are not ordinary exams. Omar must be a very brilliant young man. The exam is
not the kind of thing that you can just study for and regurgitate,” says Dr. Merten, vice
president of education for the Chubb Institute, a reputable technical school. The multiple
choice test ask very specific questions about Windows XP, such as the best way to
configure a computer to run a particular application. Examinees must know all sorts of
computer applications known only in the world of computer geeks. Many testing centers
offer preparation classes, but Omar did his own preparation in the confines of his
family’s upscale home.
Omar is now preparing to be a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer. The certification
which encompasses all kinds of subjects from computer hardware to database design
and management and network infrastructure design requires nine exams. Omar who
eventually wanted to be a programmer passed the second exam in ten minutes. He
hopes to pass all nine tests before he turns ten.
His aunt says that despite his enormous talent, he’s a very normal kid. He usually sits
on her lap and talks about computers. He also loves to tease his sisters. But he never
brag about his talents. He is not affected by all the attention he’s getting. When asked
about his favorite TV shows, he said he does not like TV and does not watch it.
Omar, who is the recipient of the 2000 Young Writers and Illustrators Award and a
straight student who plays chess, piano and soccer. He had become too advanced for
his class where he will be in fourth grade this fall. As of now, even Bill gates’ men are
unsure of what make of Omar, who is still years away from the legal working age.

Karel

When the Aliw foundation recently gave it’s new Best Female Artist award to Karel for
“Magnificat,” friends were especially thrilled, because they had practically seem the
popular teen talent grow up in front of their very eyes.
That was because, since 1995, the musical had been holding some of its rehearsals in
the home of lead singer-actress Pinky Marquez, Karel’s mom.

Passion for theater

In some TV interviews, Karel has said that her love for performing bloomed during those
rehearsals and performances, during which she imbibed the passion for theater that her
mother Pinky shared with the musical’s other original performers like Andy Bais, Rito
Asilo, Jingle Buena, Dulce and Bodjie Pascua.
For our part, we have always been struck by Karel’s unique combination of
“Frenchy” looks and husky singing voice. We urged Pinky to give her young daughter
opportunities to perform, but it took years before Karel herself realized that she felt most
fulfilled when she was singing and acting.
Once she had come to that realization, however, nothing could stop the already
teenage Karel from quickly making her mark in the biz.
As an actress, she became regular on some TV shows for teen viewers. Then,
her singing talent got noticed when she guest in some musical programs. Her unusual
one-two punch in terms of acting and singing made her stand out even more in a field of
beautiful young talents- who could do neither well!

Career boost

But Karel’s biggest career boost came when she was chosen over many other
auditionees for the coveted slot of veejay.
Despite all this success, Karel continues to dream of doing more than just walk-on roles
in theatrical productions. Which is why we sat down with Pinky and Karel to
conceptualize a play that will star Pinky and Karel in a story about a mother and
daughter, mounted early next year.
Karel said she was thrilled to be playing her first major role onstage, and was especially
delighted that she was acting with her mother.
Karel’s new Aliw award affirms what those who’ve known for years have long been
aware of: that she’s a young talent with a genuine gift and love for performing that will
take her far in the field of entertainment.
2. Using the matrix below, compare and contrast the theories and definitions of
intelligence as advanced by the proponents. 

Proponent Theory of Definition of Intelligence

Intelligence
The Binet- The modern approach to understand the concept
1. Alfred Simon scale of intelligence began with the work of Alfred
Binet and  (1890’s) Binet,a French psychologist (1857-1911) and his
    Theodore colleague, Theodore Simon (1873-1961). Binet
Simon was hired by the Paris school system to develop
tests that would identify children who were not
learning and would not benefit from further
education. Together, Binet and Simon developed
and co-authored a test to roughly measure the
intellectual development of young children
between the ages of three to twelve. They wanted
to find a way to measure the ability of children to
think and reason. Binet developed a test that
asked children to follow commands, copy
patterns, name objects and put things in order or
arrange them properly. From Binet’s work, the
term “intelligence quotient” or IQ evolved. The IQ
is the ratio of “mental age” to chronological age
with 100 as the average. So, an 8-year-old who
passes the test for 8-year-olds has an IQ of 100
which is the average for his or her chronological
age. Meanwhile, an 8-year-old who passes the
test for 10-year-olds has an IQ of 10/8 x 100 or
125. This child’s IQ is above the average for his or
her chronological age. He or she is brighter or
more superior than other children his or her age.
Binet’s and Simon’s work influenced the growth of
the intelligence testing movement.
Spearman’s Two- Charles Spearman, a British psychologist
2. Charles factor Theory of (1863-1945), advanced the two-factor theory of
Spearman Intelligence intelligence “g” and “s”. Thus, “the performance of
(1904) any intellectual act requires some combination of
“g” or general factor which is available to the
same degree for all intellectual acts, and of “s” or
specific factors which are specific to that act and
which varies in strength from one act to another.”
The theory explains that if one knows how a
person performs on one task that is highly
 saturated with “g”, one can safely predict a similar
level of performance for another highly “g”
saturated task. Prediction of performance on tasks
with high “s” factors is less accurate.
Nevertheless, since “g” pervades all tasks,
prediction will be significantly better than chance.
Thus, the most important information to have
about a person’s intellectual ability is an estimate
of his “g”.
Terman’s Lewis Madison Terman, an American cognitive
3. Lewis M. Stanford Binet psychologist (1877-1956), published a revised
Terman Individual and perfected Binet-Simon Scale for American
Intelligence Test populations in 1906 while he was at Stanford
(1906) University. In 1916 he adopted William Stern’s
suggestion that the ratio between mental and
chronological age be taken as a unitary measure
if intelligence multiplied by 100 to get rid of the
decimals. The resulting intelligence quotient
became known as the IQ. The classic formula for
the IQ is: IQ= mental age divided by chronological
age x 100. By far, the Terman’s Stanford Binet
Individual Intelligence Test is considered as the
best available individual test of intelligence.

Thorndike’s Edward L. Thorndike, an American psychologist

4. Edward L. Stimulus (1874-1949), and his students used objective
Thorndike Response Theory measurements of intelligence in human subjects
as early as 1903. During the 1920’s he developed
a multifactor rest of intelligence that consisted of
completion, arithmetic, vocabulary and directions
tests (CAVD). The logic behind the CAVD tests
eventually became the foundation of modern
intelligence tests.
Thorndike drew an important distinction
among three broad classes of intellectual
functioning: abstract intelligence that is measured
by standard intelligence tests, mechanical
intelligence which is the ability to visualize
relationships among objects and understand how
the physical world works, and social intelligence
which is the ability to function successfully in
interpersonal situations.
He proposed that abstract intelligence has
four dimensions, namely, altitude or the
complexity or difficulty of tasks one can perform,
 width or the variety of tasks of a given difficulty,
area of which is the function of width and altitude,
and speed which is the number of task one can
complete in a given time.
Thorndike is cited for his work on what he
considered as two most basic intelligences: trial
and error and stimulus response association. His
proposition stated that stimulus response
connections that are repeated are strengthened
while those that are not used are weakened.
L.L Thurstone’s Louis L. Thgurstone was an American
5. Louis L. Multiple Factors psychometrician (1887-1955) who studied
Thurstone Theory of intelligence test and perception through factor
Intelligence analysis. His theory stated that intelligence is
(1938) made up of several primary mental abilities rather
than a general factor and several specific factors.
His Multiple factors theory of Intelligence identified
the seven primary mental abilities as verbal
comprehension, word fluency, number facility,
spatial visualization, associative memory,
perceptual speed, and reasoning. He developed
the Test of primary Mental Abilities in 1938.
Thurstone discovered later on that the abilities are
not completely independent of one another.
Instead, there were modest correlations among
the abilities.
Thurstone was among the first to propose
and demonstrate that there are numerous ways in
which a person can be intelligent. His multiple
factors theory has been used in the development
of intelligence tests that yield a profile of the
person’s performance in each of the seven
primary mental abilities.

Guilford’s Theory J.P. Guilford, an American psychologist,

6. J.P. on the Structure advanced a general theory of human intelligence
Guilford of the Intellect whose major application or use is for educational
(1967) research, personnel selection and placement and
the education of gifted and talented children. The
theory on the structure of the intellect (SOI)
advances that human intelligence is composed of
180 separate mental abilities (the initial count was
120) that have been identified through factor
analysis.
The mental abilities are composites of
three separate dimensions, namely, contents,
operations and products.

The four types of contents are:

1. figural or the properties of stimuli

experienced through the senses- visual, auditory,
olfactory, gustatory and kinesthetic. Examples are
shapes and forms, sizes, colors, sounds, tastes,
temperature, intensity, volume;
2. symbolic or letters, numbers, symbols,
designs;
3. semantic or words and ideas; and
4. behavioral or actions and expressions of
thoughts and idea.

The five kinds of operations are:

1. cognition or the ability to gain, recognize

and discover knowledge;
2. memory or the ability to retain, store,
retrieve and recall all the contents of thoughts;
3. divergent production or the ability to
produce a single best solution to a problem
4. convergent production or the ability to
produce a single best solution to a problem; and
5. evaluation or the ability to render judgment
and decide whether the intellectual contents are
correct or wrong, good or bad.

The six kinds of products are:

1. units that come in single number, letter or
word;
2. classes or a higher order concept, for
example, men and women people;
3. relations or connections between and
among classes and concepts;
4. systems or the process of ordering or
classification of relations;
5. transformation or the process of altering or
restructuring of intellectual content; and
6. implication or the process making
inferences from separate pieces if information.
 Guilford developed a wide variety of psychometric
tests to measure the specific mental abilities
predicted by the theory. The tests provided the
operational definitions of the mental abilities
proposed by the theory.
The following examples illustrate three closely
related abilities that differ in terms of operation,
content and product.

1. Evaluation of semantic units or EMU is

measured by the ideational fluency tests in which
respondents are asked to make judgments about
concepts. For example, “Which of the following
objects best satisfies the criteria hard and round:
an iron, a button, a tennis ball, or a light bulb?”
2. Divergent production of semantic units or
DMU would require the respondent to list all the
items he or she can think of that are hard and
round.
3. divergent production of symbolic units or
DPU involves a different content category. For
example: list all the words that end in ion.

Sternberg’s Robert Sternberg of Yale University theorized that

7. Robert Triarchic Theory intelligence is a fixed capacity of a person. Hence,
Sternberg of intelligence with higher intellectual capabilities, as in the case
(1982) of children and youth who are gifted and talented,
almost every task can be achieved at a high level
of performance. The capabilities that underlie
intelligence will enable a highly intelligent child at
any age, to do better than
His peers or age mates. Intellectual abilities
must increase with age, given the supportive
environment and effective teaching learning
conditions.
The triarchic theory of intelligence seeks to
explain in an integrative way the relationship
between:
1. Intelligence and the internal world of the
individual, or the mental mechanisms that underlie
intelligent behavior.
2. intelligence and external world of the
individual, or the use of these mental mechanisms
in everyday in life in order to attain an intelligent fit
to the environment; and
3. intelligence and experience, or the
mediating role of one’s passage through life
between the internal and external worlds of the
individuals.

Sternberg calls his theory triarchic because

intelligence has three main parts or dimensions:
contextual part, an experiential part, and a
componential part.

Contextual intelligence emphasizes intelligence in

its socio cultural contexts. Thus, intelligence for a
child requires adaptive behavior (children’s basic
cognitive skills according to Gesell) that is not
required of an older person. Similarly, it may be
stated that intelligence for a Filipino child,
especially those who are deprived of the basic
needs requires adaptive behavior that is not
required of an American child. Intelligence for
children in rural areas requires adaptive behavior
an required of children who live in urban areas.
Persons who are high on the contextual
dimension of intelligence quickly recognize what
factors influence success on various tasks. They
are adept at both adapting to and shaping their
environment so that they can accomplish their
goals.

Experiential intelligence emphasizes insight and

the ability to formulate new ideas and combine
seemingly unrelated facts or information.
Sternberg emphasizes the role of experience. He
says that the habitual, highly practiced ways of
dealing with the environment are not the true
indicators of intelligence. Rather, it is the way a
person responds to an event that is new, novel
and even unexpected that shows how smart he or
she is.

Componential intelligence emphasizes the

effectiveness of information processing. Sternberg
defines component as the underlying cognitive
mechanisms that carry out the adaptive behavior
to novel situations. The cognitive mechanisms are
equivalent to the skills, knowledge and
competencies that a person would have required
mainly through education and experience. There
are two kinds of components performance
components and metacomponents.
Performance components are used in the actual
execution of the tasks. They include encoding,
comparing, chunking and triggering actions and
speech. The metacomponents are the higher
order executive processes used in planning,
monitoring and evaluating one’s working memory
program.
Sternberg has identified six significant
metacomponents. As he emphasized time and
again, “metacomponents form the basis for
developmental changes in intelligence. All
activation and feedback are filtered through these
elements, and if they do not perform their function
well, then it will not matter very much what the
other kinds of components do”.
1. recognition of what has to be done;
understanding the task at hand;
2. selecting performance components and
encoding important features of a task;
3. selecting an appropriate mental
representation visually or verbally;
4. organizing performance components by
formulating plans for organizing and sequencing
the steps or procedures in the process;
5. deciding how to allocate attention and
resources; and
6. monitoring one’s performance.
 Persons who are high in componential
intelligence do very well in abstract thinking and
are able to process information effectively. They
think analytically, critically and creatively.

Gardner’s Theory Howard Gardner is a psychologist and professor

8. Howard of Multiple at Harvard University Graduate School of
Gardner Intelligences Education and director of Project Zone Based on
(1983) his studies of many7 people from different walks
of life in everyday circumstances and professions,
he developed his breakthrough theory of multiple
intelligences or MI. he did a massive synthesis of
a, lot of research including brain research,
evolutionary research, and genetic research. He
did brain research on stroke victims, prodigies,
people with autism and even idiot “savants”. He
had authored 20 books and hundreds of articles
on MI. Gardner was in Manila in April, 2005 for the
first Philippine convention on Mi with the theme
“Changing minds: teaching and Parenting for the
21st Century”.

3. What is creativity? Why is it considered as the highest expression of giftedness?

Creative ability is considered as central to the definition of giftedness. Clark
(1986) refers to creativity as the highest expression of giftedness. Sternberg (1988)
suggest that creative, insightful individuals are those who make discoveries and devise
the inventions that ultimately change society.

There is no accepted definition of creativity. In his studies on creativity, Guilford

(1988) enumerates the following dimensions of creative behavior:
• Fluency- the creative person is capable of producing many ideas per unit of time.
• Flexibility- a wide variety of ideas, unusual ideas, and alternative solutions are
offered.
• Novelty/originality- low probability, unique words, and responses are used; the
creative person has novel ideas.
• Elaboration- the ability to provide details is evidenced.
• Synthesizing ability- the person has the ability to put unlikely ideas together.
• Analyzing ability- the person has the ability to organize ideas into larger, inclusive
patterns. Symbolic structures must often be broken down before they can be reformed
into new ones.
• Ability to reorganize or redefine existing ideas- the ability to transform an existing
object into one of different design, function, or use is evident.
• Complexity- the ability to manipulate many interrelated ideas at the same time is
shown.

A foremost authority on creative thinking and author of psychological tests on creativity,

Torrance (1993) found in a 30-year longitudinal study that high-ability adults who were
judged to have achieved far beyond their peers in creative endeavors possess the
following ten most common characteristics:

1. delight in deep thinking

2. tolerance of mistakes
3. love of one’s work
4. clear purpose
5. enjoyment in one’s work
6. feeling comfortable as a minority of one
7. being different
8. not being well- rounded
9. a sense of mission
10. the courage to be creative

4. Quote the portion of the definition of giftedness by the authorities mentioned in the
chapter under the following headings:

a. intelligence The prominent men and women

from different countries all over the world
who have carved a name for themselves
in their respective fields of endeavor, as
well as the many other people who have
b. creativity excelled in their lines of expertise, have
four things in common: they possess the
central elements of giftedness and talent,
c. talent namely, intelligence or high intellectual
ability, creativity, talent, and task
commitment.
Can you imagine what it is
to be like Lea Salonga or Cecile Licad
d. task commitment who attained international fame and
brought honors to our country through
their outstanding achievements in the
performing arts at a very young age? Or
Emil Justin Cebrian, jon Bryan Santiago
e. leadership role Tiosin and Omar Parrenas Rizwan whose
remarkable and impressive academic
achievements at an early age accelerated
their education? Their performance in
school indicates their mental ages are far
advanced than their chronological ages.
Average boys and girls would be much
older than these young achievers before
they can even approximate their feats.
Or, how about our national
hero. Dr. Jose Rizal, who is one among
the few geniuses of renown in the world?
Not far behind are the other exceptional
Filipino heroes whose intelligence and
creative talents showed in the roles they
played in the attainment of our freedom
from the foreign conquerors. Likewise,
worthy 0of recall are the many other
compatriots and leaders, both rich and
poor, in various fields of endeavors, who
pursued their commitment to serve the
people through significant leadership
roles, innovative ideas, creative
inventions and similar achievements.
Then there is the long list of
philosophical thoughts, scientific theories,
inventions and technological advances
through the centuries that intelligent and
creative human minds evolved in the
sciences, the various fields in medicines,
mathematics, the arts and other areas.
The achievements introduced dramatic
changes in human lives such as increase
in the life span, cure for diseases, more
convenient, comfortable and enjoyable
life styles and information technology.