I have been think about the difference between these two lately. I feel like a lot of our shorthand measures of giftedness are quantitative: doing 4th grade work in 1st, reading early, etc.
But definitions of giftedness tend to emphasize creative and critical thinking, seeing the world differently, making unexpected connections, etc.
I guess what I'm wondering is how much overlap is there between these two? Couldn't we have a kid who works well above grade level but exhibits little or no creative thinking? Or do the two always go hand in hand? Conversely, what about the kid that just thinks differently and thus may not work ahead perhaps because the evaluation measures don't recognize their ways of thinking?
I realize that "advanced" is easier to measure than creative thinking, but how do we nurture those creative thinkers, then? I feel like the push is always onward and upward on the same path, but how can we maintain alternate pathways for our kiddos who see the world differently and may have some great contributions to make if we can nurture their perspectives?
