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Helping Gifted Children Soar: A Practical Guide for Parents and Teachers
This user-friendly guidebook educates parents and teachers about important issues facing gifted children and the adults who guide them, such as selecting appropriate schools, expanding and differentiating the curriculum for gifted learners, and supporting children who experience stress, depression, perfectionism, friendship issues, and more. The information and useful advice contained in this book make is an ideal resource for those just starting to learn about gifted children as well as seasoned veterans. Topics include: Is my child gifted or just smart? Characteristics of gifted children
How schools identify gifted children
Types of gifted programs
Learning options and the ideal classroom
How parents and teachers can work together
Parenting approaches
Social and emotional needs
How schools identify gifted children
Types of gifted programs
Learning options and the ideal classroom
How parents and teachers can work together
Parenting approaches
Social and emotional needs
270 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2000
3 people are currently reading
76 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 22, 2011
Gifted programs aren't about being "smart. It is about "fit" - providing students who learn in a different way with the curriculum that helps them lean best (just as schools provide a different curriculum for slower learners).
The most important thing parents and teachers can do, long before they worry about cluster groups or mentoring, is to establish a trusting relationship with the gifted student. This gives the child a safe haven, someone to go to for help and a place where they can anchor himself and rest. They are sometimes terrified because they believe they are weird and no one will ever like them, they must always have the right answer to every question, they may not be as smart as everyone thinks they are. Two-three significant adult relationships in the gifted child's life is critical because they can act consistently and help the child through periods of frustration and disagreement, particularly as their peer relationships ebb and flow so tremendously.
People can learn to accept and warm to a child who challenges, interrupts, argues, and sometimes outshines them by realizing and remembering that the child cannot help being gifted, any more than a hearing impaired child can help needing a hearing aid.
The gifted child 's perfectionism is related to their asynchronous development. The best way for them to find out that they are not weirdos or nerds is to help them make acquaintances with other gifted children. Get involved in a parent support group and explore summer institutes.
Website to check out:
nagc.org
Book to check out:
Keys to Parenting the Gifted child b Sylvia Rimm
Other progams:
Future Problem Solving
Destination ImagiNation
National Spelling Bee
Knowledgmasters
The Geography Bee
Math Counts
Science Olympiad
Junior Great Books discussion groups
The most important thing parents and teachers can do, long before they worry about cluster groups or mentoring, is to establish a trusting relationship with the gifted student. This gives the child a safe haven, someone to go to for help and a place where they can anchor himself and rest. They are sometimes terrified because they believe they are weird and no one will ever like them, they must always have the right answer to every question, they may not be as smart as everyone thinks they are. Two-three significant adult relationships in the gifted child's life is critical because they can act consistently and help the child through periods of frustration and disagreement, particularly as their peer relationships ebb and flow so tremendously.
People can learn to accept and warm to a child who challenges, interrupts, argues, and sometimes outshines them by realizing and remembering that the child cannot help being gifted, any more than a hearing impaired child can help needing a hearing aid.
The gifted child 's perfectionism is related to their asynchronous development. The best way for them to find out that they are not weirdos or nerds is to help them make acquaintances with other gifted children. Get involved in a parent support group and explore summer institutes.
Website to check out:
nagc.org
Book to check out:
Keys to Parenting the Gifted child b Sylvia Rimm
Other progams:
Future Problem Solving
Destination ImagiNation
National Spelling Bee
Knowledgmasters
The Geography Bee
Math Counts
Science Olympiad
Junior Great Books discussion groups
May 20, 2008
Very useful in formulating educational strategies for your bright child. A good portion of the book discusses identification of the gifted child. Most of the rest of it is organized around choosing the best public or private schooling for your child. What are your options? Which ones work best? What are the strengths and weaknesses of each method? It does not address how to help your gifted child if you have chosen to homeschool, which is what many parents of bright children want to know.
December 14, 2017
“Giftedness isn’t always pretty,” write Strip, a gifted-education specialist, and Hirsch, president of an Ohio-based business communications company. “Sometimes it’s confusing and downright messy.” In clear, enthusiastic writing, the authors describe different manifestations of giftedness as well as options for curricular and educational advancement. They explain that while gifted youth have added brainpower, they are particularly susceptible to perfectionism, depression, and low self-esteem. “Asynchronous development,” in which the intellect matures in advance of emotional, physical, and social skills, often wreaks havoc on these children. To counter these problems,, the authors encourage clear and open partnering among students, parents, and teachers on educational issues. When these groups act as “teammates in dealing with children’s academic, emotional and social needs” it is easier for gifted children to operate at their highest capacity. This solid, practical book includes a strong reference section. A scholarly and comprehensive examination of giftedness can be found in Ellen Winner’s Gifted Children: Myths and Realities (LJ 5/15/96). Recommended.
Find reviews of books for men at Books for Dudes, Books for Dudes, the online reader's advisory column for men from Library Journal. Copyright Library Journal.
Find reviews of books for men at Books for Dudes, Books for Dudes, the online reader's advisory column for men from Library Journal. Copyright Library Journal.
August 11, 2021
Reading this as a gifted teenager was quite enlightening, though the book failed to consider the overall challenges of neurodiversity within the lives of gifted children, especially gifted females.
For instance, the book only considers the perspective of the struggles of ADHD in a gifted boy, failing to consider that ADHD could also affect a girl, if not at a different rate.
This book is informative, yet quite outdated, and I would highly recommend reading a different source when preparing to teach or understand gifted children at a higher level. The content is diluted and fails to have explanations that are consistent throughout.
For instance, the book only considers the perspective of the struggles of ADHD in a gifted boy, failing to consider that ADHD could also affect a girl, if not at a different rate.
This book is informative, yet quite outdated, and I would highly recommend reading a different source when preparing to teach or understand gifted children at a higher level. The content is diluted and fails to have explanations that are consistent throughout.
March 8, 2019
The GT teacher at my son’s school let me borrow this, and I found it some helpful. Our kid doesn’t necessarily even fit the gifted descriptions here, but there was a huge emphasis on finding fit which was helpful. There are definitely pieces of his personality and intelligence that aren’t “normal” kid. I think we will use this info as a springboard for conversation with our son and his teachers in the future.
September 24, 2016
This was helpful in preparing a pro/con list for accelerating my daughter a grade. It brought some things to light and affirmed some things I already knew.
January 1, 2013
I read this book when I first started teaching Addie and read it again in December. The information in the first chapters which discuss the gifted child's unique learning style has proved to be true. My granddaughter does most of the things mentioned. For example, being able to picture lists of vocabulary words in her head and check them off as they appear in an oral test, unusual reasoning processes and the ability to synthesize information and apply it to other situations.
The rest of the book deals with getting a gifted child's needs met in the public school setting. In almost every example of a problem and possible solution I found that homeschooling eliminated the problem. For example, we are able to make all my granddaughter's work appropriately challenging and are able to present work that she doesn't like to do in a way that makes it more interesting. We have included Home Economics as a hobby/subject and it provides us with an infinite number of math reasoning, creativity, understanding and writing complicated step-by-step instructions as well as a vehicle for creativity.
As suggested in the book, we are able to teach units such as Opera, Self discipline, Political Science (in an election year), and reading units based on classical literature which preserves the interest level of a child with the vocabulary and history of a much older student.
I recommend this book to parents who have a gifted child and choose to stay in the public school system. There are many solutions to the most common problems and give a reasonable approach to dealing with school officials in a reasonable manner.
The rest of the book deals with getting a gifted child's needs met in the public school setting. In almost every example of a problem and possible solution I found that homeschooling eliminated the problem. For example, we are able to make all my granddaughter's work appropriately challenging and are able to present work that she doesn't like to do in a way that makes it more interesting. We have included Home Economics as a hobby/subject and it provides us with an infinite number of math reasoning, creativity, understanding and writing complicated step-by-step instructions as well as a vehicle for creativity.
As suggested in the book, we are able to teach units such as Opera, Self discipline, Political Science (in an election year), and reading units based on classical literature which preserves the interest level of a child with the vocabulary and history of a much older student.
I recommend this book to parents who have a gifted child and choose to stay in the public school system. There are many solutions to the most common problems and give a reasonable approach to dealing with school officials in a reasonable manner.
November 22, 2014
Wound up skimming a lot of the book.
It was useful to have some sense of calibration of giftedness, and to pick up terminology for educational options -- like curriculum telescoping and how teacher-student contracts work.
The chapter dealing with problems that can come up in learning more than is expected at a certain grade level was also helpful -- from stress to perfectionism to existential depression.
While reasonable advice, I did not glean any particularly eye-opening insights from the book.
The overall idea that slotting a child rigidly by age makes about as much sense as slotting them by weight resonated with me -- with some initial guidance and encouragement, I suspect most kids can become self-motivated, eager and capable learners who would exhibit much of the patterns attributed to giftedness -- bored with learning by rote, intense, etc.
It was useful to have some sense of calibration of giftedness, and to pick up terminology for educational options -- like curriculum telescoping and how teacher-student contracts work.
The chapter dealing with problems that can come up in learning more than is expected at a certain grade level was also helpful -- from stress to perfectionism to existential depression.
While reasonable advice, I did not glean any particularly eye-opening insights from the book.
The overall idea that slotting a child rigidly by age makes about as much sense as slotting them by weight resonated with me -- with some initial guidance and encouragement, I suspect most kids can become self-motivated, eager and capable learners who would exhibit much of the patterns attributed to giftedness -- bored with learning by rote, intense, etc.
September 9, 2013
It presents an overly idealistic environment where teachers and school administrators work with parents of gifted students to ensure that the gifted child receives an optimal education. Unfortunately, it has been my personal experience that both teachers and school administrators rarely have the time, interest, or the expertise when it comes to dealing with gifted students. There were some good areas of advice and reference for parents of gifted children, who are just starting their journey of discovering what makes their child gifted and how to deal with it.
March 19, 2013
I was very impressed with this book. I read it cover to cover and since it was a library copy, held myself back from highlighting and marking it with many, many sticky notes. Definitely going to find a copy for myself and possibly a gift to our local middle school as well!
It had many stories, but not so many that became distracting. I really liked that it offered meaningful advice, that is actually usable instead of discussion and philosophies for both parents AND teachers.
It had many stories, but not so many that became distracting. I really liked that it offered meaningful advice, that is actually usable instead of discussion and philosophies for both parents AND teachers.
June 14, 2016
Even as a homeschool patent I loved, loved, loved this book. It was extremely helpful. If I was ever going to look into a school with a gifted program I know what to ask and how to ask it. As a homeschool parent I now understand why my gifted child acts the ways he does and how to make the change. A must read if you just learned you have a gifted child.
February 5, 2009
This was very interesting, although I disagreed with some of the advice on how to handle gifted kids.
July 28, 2011
Reading this book will make me a more understanding teacher this upcoming school year. Also, this book provided some helpful tips in dealing with parents.
January 18, 2012
Basic, but interesting. A lot seems to really depend on the school district, so there were a lot of scenarios or options that may not exist in DPS.
December 1, 2016
Nothing new here.
April 14, 2015
Grrr, arrgh. Some good ideas; lots of common sense; some hurl-it-across-the-room moments.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews