Many educators who like to show off their ignorance about the nature of giftedness will say, "They all even out by third grade." And there's some truth to that saying, because if a gifted kid is occupying a seat in a class for three years, in which they learn next to nothing, the rest of the class will close the gap.
Someone who learns quickly will still learn quickly, as long as they're given the opportunity (which doesn't happen in many elementary schools) and they haven't lost their motivation (which often happens due to lack of opportunity).
