According to Winner, gifted children are characterized by three things: first, they are precocious, meaning that they demonstrate mastery of certain skills earlier than their peers; secondly, they insist on marching to the beat of their own drums, meaning that they prefer to work alone and need or desire little interference or scaffolding from others; and thirdly, they have a rage to master, meaning they have an insatiable drive and determination to make sense of and master the domain(s) in which they are interested and gifted.
To restate Winner's view of gifted characteristics, gifted children are the following:
- precocious in one or more domains of learning and talent
- excited and motivated about discoveries in their domain
- require little help from adults on the road to mastery
- they are creative and think outside the box
- they are persistent, determined, and understand that only through years of hard work can they master, inspire, and revitalize a domain
- they are intrinsically motivated
- they are often intense and obsessive in the area(s) of their interest
- they have an uncanny ability to focus intently or be utterly engrossed in their domain and work
- usually, learning in their domain comes naturally and easily to them (though, as mentioned, true mastery requires dedication and hard work).
- unmotivated and underachieving
- emotionally damaged from peer and family conditions and experiences, and thereby, disinterested in reaching their full potential
- experience difficulty in mastery and/or concentration, even learning disabled, and thus requiring more scaffolding and faciliation
- in need of inspiration or simply someone or something to inspire them
Analysis and Application to October Sky:
Homer is "stuck" in a predetermined existence. Feeling trapped by the "destiny" his father and town have mapped out for him, he spends his time daydreaming about future possibilities and fails to actively achieve them. Inspiration comes for him in the following ways: the launching of the Sputnik; the encouragement and challenge from his teacher, Miss Riley; a budding, brave friendship with the ultimate "nerdy" gifted child, Quentin; and the stark reality of the inevitable life of a coal miner if he does not attempt to achieve his dreams.
As Miss Riley put it to Homer, "I think you made other plans." She reminds him that he can fight for his dreams using his gifts, talents, and intelligence, or give it all up in order to fit into other people's plans and expectations.
References
Winner, E. (1996). Gifted children. New York, NY: Basic Books, 3-4.
Davis, Rimm, and Siegle further elaborate on the traits of intellectually gifted children. According to these authors, gifted children exhibit the following characteristics:
- they are precocious in language and thought
- they exhibit and use logical thinking
- they may be advanced in mathematical, musical, and artistic thinking and abilities
- they are motivated, usually intrinsically so
- they are persistent and determined
- they have advanced interests that are usually deemed "nerdy" or unusual by or in comparison to their peers
- they typically are self-confident, self-motivated, and as already mentioned, intrinsically motivated
Analysis and Application to October Sky:
Initially, Homer does not have the confidence or support to ignite his talent and achieve his desires. But through the help of his teacher, mother, friends, and townspeople, he finds within himself the strength, motivation and confidence to leave off dreaming and start building "a life that counts for something." We see Homer transform from a quiet, unmotivated dreamer, to a young man with purpose and the drive to bring that purpose to fruition.
References
Davis, G. A., Rimm, S. B., & Siegle, D. (2011). Education of the Gifted and Talented (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc., 35-40 