As mentioned in my prior article on giftedness in schools, there is a difference between being gifted and being a high achiever although both populations are often grouped together for learning purposes. There exist, on the Internet, a number of checklists and articles which attempt to distinguish between gifted learners, high achievers, and creative thinkers. One of my favorites comes from the former director of the George Parkyn Gifted Education Centre in New Zealand.
Rosemary Cathcart explains that, because high achievers are generally very able, it is tempting to assume that the difference between gifted and high achieving is a matter of quantity or how able. Rather, the difference is much more qualitative. Gifted children are not just a few percentiles higher on an ability or achievement test or a few grades further ahead in their reading comprehension. In fact, they may not test higher on achievement tests at all.
Gifted children are less likely to fit into the educational structure of a traditional school and are therefore more at risk than bright children who often thrive there achieving high grades and test scores. The waters get muddy here because some gifted children do achieve straight As and appear much the same as bright high achievers on the surface.
Neither population is innately better than the other. There is nothing better about having a gifted child than having a bright, high achieving child. However, realizing which one you are dealing with can be important in knowing what your child needs educationally and, perhaps, in terms of parenting approaches.
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