Gifted children are just like everyone else in some respects and very different in others. If they process information analytically, they tend to work in quiet and bright light at a desk and chair, and hate being interrupted.

If they process globally, they concentrate best with what many of us would label as distractors: music, soft illumination, an informal design (couch, easy chair, floor or carpeting), take snacks incessantly while concentrating and often work for only short periods of time, take many breaks, and begin at odd places in a task — at the end, in the middle, or anywhere!

The gifted are different from most learners in other respects. They are highly motivated toward accomplishing whatever they set as their goal — especially if others tell them it can’t be done. They are perceptually stronger than their classmates whereas most children have one perceptual strength (usually tactual or a combination of tactual and kinesthetic).

Gifted youngsters learn easily through several modalities like listening, seeing or reading, manipulating, and/ or experiencing. Whereas the majority of students are not early morning learners, the majority of the intellectually gifted are.

High IQ students usually are gifted analytics. Gifted globals are equally as bright. In fact, with an IQ of 130 and above, most gifted children are global, but many do not like submitting to tests.

Moreover, some of our most nonconforming students are gifted; they like doing things their way and resist direction from others (unless they have asked for it). This meshes nicely with their need for low structure. They do not mind being told what has to be done, but they usually see different and, to them, more interesting ways of doing assignments.

It is not difficult to deal with nonconformists if you understand that they need to be told why what you want them to do is important to you; that they have choices of how they can complete the task; and whatever you want to say in a collegial rather than an authoritative tone.

High IQ and talented students who drop out of school may be highly gifted youngsters who become unmotivated because conventional schooling does not complement their learning styles. Teachers need to approach teaching by considering what the best approach may be for this child.

Both gifted and non-gifted children benefit at least equally well when permitted to learn with procedures that are congruent with, rather than dissonant from, their learning style strengths.

The learning styles of underachievers were significantly different from those of other students. They thirst for mobility at frequent intervals; a variety of instructional resources from which to learn (to respond to their low auditory and low-visual modalities and their strong preference for variety rather than routines and patterns); other than early morning classes.

They want recognition for their high motivation despite their inability to learn through the methods and resources their teachers make available; collegial rather than authoritative teachers; resources which introduce new and difficult information through their perceptual preferences to make learning easier and more appealing; informal seating arrangements in classrooms; mobility; and soft illumination.

Teachers should experiment with permitting their at-risk or potential dropouts to redesign classrooms to respond to individual needs for informality and low lighting. Teach students how to translate textbooks into instructional resources responsive to their learning style strengths, and acknowledge students’ physiological requirements for movement. So stop chastising them for being hyperactive, fidgety, or unable to sit.

(The author is the president of the Center for Learning and Teaching Styles, an affiliate of the International Learning Styles Network, based at St. John’s University in New York)