Deborah L. Ruf, Ph.D., is a specialist in intelligence assessment and individualized interpretations and guidance for both gifted children and adults. Her research, writing, and speaking focuses on school and educational issues as well as related social and emotional adjustments for gifted children particularly those at the highest levels of giftedness.
Why the 5 Levels? The following information is a general summary of the Ruf Estimates of Levels of Giftedness. There is overlap in each of the levels, and inner qualities — qualities that
What every parent and teacher of gifted children should know. Photo by CDC on Unsplash This advice is relevant for teachers at any grade level. It’s original title was The Do’s and
It’s also called the EQ and IQ Connection Because Some People Navigate Those Waters More easily Than Others. Many highly intelligent people of all ages struggle to feel they fit
Most intellectually gifted adults don’t think of themselves as gifted. Smart enough maybe, but not so special as to be gifted. First of all, most intellectually gifted adults don’t think
The same as they take care of most students. Very little new happens before High School. In this post, you will start to see yourself, and even if you don’t
Level Two children are highly gifted and the most common in gifted programs. Level Two children and their parents also experienced difficulties finding a good school fit. Level Two children
People collapse “grade getting” behaviors or “going to college” with intelligence. Don’t! First, when a child is clearly capable and smart — possibly gifted — it is common for both
Level Three (Highly to Exceptionally Gifted) children and their parents generally had considerable difficulty finding a good school fit. The school options families have available to them play a role
How does early or late talking relate to how smart a child is? Two families were visiting their great aunt and uncle and chatting with each other as their first-borns,
Level Four children and their parents in my first book (5 Levels of Gifted: School Issues and Educational Options, 2009) generally had considerable difficulty finding a good school fit. My second