Misuse of the word 'gifted' in school report?

[Ginmummy1]

DD is finishing Y1. In her end-of-year report it stated that DD is a ‘gifted mathematician’. At the 'open' parents' evening yesterday I mentioned to DD’s teachers that we were surprised at this comment, as we’d have said language/literacy was her strong suit. One of the teachers said “to be honest, she’s gifted at everything”.

I think they’re misusing the word ‘gifted’. They are experienced teachers in a ‘good’, ordinary, one-form-entry primary. DD is bright and finds it easy to concentrate – she is a good ‘fit’ for school. She’s also an only child, with parents who were (fairly) high achievers and who encourage learning in all directions (fussy about vocab etc!)

My question (or conversation starter) is how easy is it to distinguish, early on in primary, between a child that has been brought up in an active home learning environment, and true giftedness?

I stress that I’m not looking for people to ‘reassure’ me that DD is ‘gifted’. I truly think she’s very able and an all-rounder (like I was), but not ‘gifted’ (or, at least, not demonstrably so at this stage).

Wow I'm an ex teacher and been out a while. I had no idea that's what growth mindset was!!

overall, if you look at the results of ALL classes and teachers involved in these trials, attempting to impose "growth mindset" leads to a significant DECLINE in progress, and decline in confidence in children.

Have you got a link to this study? I've read quite a bit about growth mindset and haven't come across it.

There are a bunch of links about the issues with it in these threads I posted a while back.
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/education/2807333-Growth-mindset-not-working-Maybe-youve-got-False-Growth-Mindset

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/education/2827902-Growth-Mindset-BOBBINS

The most my school ever did was put up a bunch of posters saying failure was the path to success so I think user's example of a disabled child having interventions removed is extreme. I can't imagine any school taking a wheelchair away and telling a child they can walk if they try hard enough.

so I think user's example of a disabled child having interventions removed is extreme

yes, it is my most extreme example, but the one which most clearly illustrates the issues and damage the "growth mindset" system causes, in less extreme and less easily discernible cases.

The comparison with taking a disabled child's wheelchair away and telling them they could walk if they only showed growth mindset is a very apt one.

Thanks for the posts about what rubbish growth mindset is. :)
I always had doubts. MNers used to praise the idea a lot.
I found it so liberating when I came to Britain & people were sometimes fatalistic & said "Sometimes life is unfair & there's sod all you can do about it."

As a (maths) teacher in a primary school, I would not personally use the word 'gifted' on any child's report purely because, in my mind, it describes a person with a very high iq (140+) and teachers are not in the business of testing that. This year I used the term 'natural mathematician' to describe my highest attainers and then went on to qualify that statement - because they can readily spot patterns and make connections - something that cannot easily be taught.

Oops, clearly didn't read all the thread to notice that it had moved into growth mindset

Back to gifted - gifted and talented has actually gone from the official way of putting it and schools are expected to call the top 10% the Most Able, which of course is what they are.

we call them magots. More able, gifted or talented.

magots is the term common in schools round here, but the exact definitions varies slightly.

In one school, more able is top 25 %, gifted is top 10% in a core subject, and talented is top 10% in a non core subject.

Another school uses gifted as top 10% across the board, and talented as top 10% in only one subject.

And the percentage you have to be in to be called more able varies too

Magots??! Haha I know I said make up your own term but not sure about this one.

Any extremes of attitude are unhelpful to education. To give the children the message that their ability will be set by their genetics is equally as bad as the message that if they do not attained a certain it is because they have not tried.
Attainment will be a mixture of being taught and ability to learn. But happily children do not come with their IQ tattooed on their forehead. So all you can say to them is there is no telling how much they may improve with the right education and willingness to try.
"I have been told I am not naturally good at..." is a self fulfilling prophesy, because who wants to put in hours of struggle in the hopes of becoming mediocre.

distinguish, early on in primary, between a child that has been brought up in an active home learning environment, and true giftedness?
It really doesn't matter. Just enjoy the fact that your child is thriving and encourage a love of maths.

As for user's post on growth mindset, I've no idea where you're getting this from but it's a total misuse of GM if it is truly your experience. There are excellent elements to GM which can be used to encourage children to be more resilient and to push through and make use of their mistakes.

The new term from Ofsted is'rapid graspers'.

"I have been told I am not naturally good at..." is a self fulfilling prophesy, because who wants to put in hours of struggle in the hopes of becoming mediocre.

Sometimes mediocre is a high achievement. Or it is for me, in some areas! The problem isn't that a person finds out that their best result is only "mediocre"; the problem is saying that mediocre isn't worth bothering to become. I'm quite happy to strive to be mediocre. It's a helluva achievement for me. If instead, it was implied that I could be amazing, then THAT would be discouraging, as soon as I realised how far away I was from amazing. Don't pretend I'm likely to become something so rare & truly impossible. Make the goals valuable because they were achieved (b/c they were achievable), not valued because they impressed the world. Who cares about the amazing results? Entertainment on TV sometimes, its all the amazing results are good for.

I find it a bit odd that an existing word gets saddled with an official definition then can only be used for that specific meaning. Then when that specific definition is got rid of, what, are people just supposed to not use it? I think it's quite nice for teachers to be able to subjectively use "gifted", "talented", "excellent", "good", or whatever, subjectively. What other words could be given a specific educational definition? Will there be a definition of how many friends a child has to have to be popular? A questionnaire to work out which kids can be officially defined as "friendly"? They have to be in the top 10% of question-askers to be called inquisitive or interested?

It also seems to me that the words "gifted" and "talented" were not really being used properly anyway. Neither gifted nor talented necessarily implies high achievement. I can quite easily imagine someone saying "Susan is a gifted mathematician whose attainment does not match her clear ability" or something.

Haven't read thread in full but on Growth Mindset:

my child was negatively affected by the growth mindset sessions done at his school.

I went in to a parents' session and it came across to me as utter bs, set up to knock those who are quick academically. And ultimately make those who struggle think they are morally lacking for not trying hard enough. It's been coopted by the Presbyterian strain up here I think!

I had previously read up on praising effort not results and see the relevance of it. (My DH feels I am cramping his style when I hiss not to go on that DS is "brilliant" at his music.)

The new term from Ofsted is'rapid graspers'

And I bet some twit has been paid mega bucks for coming up with that....

There are excellent elements to GM which can be used to encourage children to be more resilient and to push through and make use of their mistakes

and I think you will find these "elements come under the heading of " normal teaching" which has been going on for centuries, and is not in any significant way linked to "growth mindset"

There is no consistent definition between schools as to what 'gifted' or 'most able' actually mean. To be honest both terms mean very little as they depend totally on a child's class/cohort, which can vary massively in ability even within a small school. It's just another way to describe that a child is achieving above expected standards, which tells you nothing but that!

Am 68 and still remember my Science Report
'Tries hard but lacks ability!!'

ladyvimes, I don't think that's the case these days, since " top 10 % was classed as gifted" is thing of the past.

But I just think use of term "gifted" is just an adjective describing the child's ability is slightly better than just above expected , and "most able" is, well, most able in class/cohort, or whatever the teacher thinks of a child.

That 'rapid grasper' terminology has really tickled my fancy. It puts me in mind of the Artful Dodger.

I'm not kidding! Twitter thinks it's hilarious.

My child is certainly one of/the most able in her class. However. . We're in an area of deprivation/low income/aspirarions. She would almost certainly be middling in a different area.