Accidental Genius by Kevin and Cassidy Kearney, 1998, Woodshed Press
Books for Parents of Gifted Children
This handout provides a list of some of the most useful, helpful, and
informative books available for parents of gifted children. Most are available
through Amazon.com and some are available through SIS.
Summaries, reviews, and synopses are taken from Amazon.com, except
where otherwise stated.) You can find additional books about and for gifted children at Gifts for Learning.
Accidental Genius by Kevin and Cassidy Kearney, 1998, Woodshed Press
Synopsis
Experienced home schoolers, Kevin and Cassidy Kearney explain in an
easy-to-read guide-- packed with examples-- how you can take charge of the
education of your gifted/special needs children.Experts Kevin and
Cassidy Kearney show you:
Review
This book is the absolute best resource I have found for understanding the
many and complex needs of gifted children. Her section on the "Gifted
Over-Excitabilites" is tremendously helpful to parents, teachers and counselors
working with this population. A copy belongs in every gifted education program
as resource material for teachers and parents.
The Edison Trait : Saving the Spirit of Your Nonconforming Child, by
Lucy Jo Palladino, 1997, Times Books
Review
Psychologist Lucy Jo Palladino claims that 20 percent of children have what
she calls the Edison trait: "dazzling intelligence, an active imagination, a
free-spirited approach to life, and the ability to drive everyone around them
crazy." She named the trait after Thomas Edison, who flunked out of school
despite his obvious brilliance. Palladino says that Edison-trait children think
divergently, while the routines and structure of schools are more geared toward
convergent thinking, or focusing on one idea at a time. The incompatible school
environment, she says, usually leads divergent-thinking children to act out,
receive poor grades, and often be labeled as strong-willed and disruptive.
These symptoms may sound similar to those of ADD, but Palladino says that's an overused term often mistakenly applied to Edison-trait children. "In most cases," she says, "ADD behavior patterns are comparable to but more extreme than the typical patterns of an Edison-trait child who does not have ADD." A diagnosis of ADD does not take into consideration factors such as "intelligence, perceptiveness, sensitivity, creativity, and wit."
With many references to scientific studies, Palladino helps you decide whether your child is one of the three types of Edison-trait children: dreamer, discoverer, or dynamo. She also gives pointed, practical advice regarding such controversial topics as diet, neurofeedback treatment, and psychological testing. For frustrated parents and educators, Dreamers, Discoverers, and Dynamos will be a rich source of both help and hope.
Review
My child is very bright. Why does he have so much trouble in school?
Exceptionally Gifted Children details the research of Ms. Gross into the world
of these children. Through her eyes, get to know more than a dozen highly gifted
children and their families, and follow their failures and successes in the
education system. Although the venue is Australia, this book could just as well
have been written about education in America. It's a 'must read' for parents and
educators of exceptionally gifted children around the world.
Summary (from Free Spirit Press, http://www.freespirit.com/)
Based on a survey of 6,000 kids from 37 states and countries, this candid,
refreshing book reveals what gifted kids really think and feel. "Speak for
Yourself" sections invite readers to get involved and explore their own feelings
about being gifted
The Gifted Kids’ Survival Guide For Ages 10 & Under (Revised and
Updated Edition), by Judy Galbraith, M.A., Free Spirit Press.
First published in 1984, newly revised and updated, this book has helped countless young gifted children realize they're not alone and being smart, talented and creative is a bonus--not a burden. It answers their questions about why they think and learn the way they do, and what "giftedness" and IQ really mean, and how to handle high expectations.
Growing Up Gifted : Developing the Potential of Children at Home and at School, by Barbara Clark, 1997, Merrill Pub Co.
Summary (from back cover)
A significant revision of one the best-selling books for gifted education.
KEY TOPICS: This new edition is shorter, more practical and each chapter now
begins with a case study. There is also a new, first chapter that explores and
explains the controversy surrounding the definition of giftedness and the gifted
child's right to special programs. Throughout the latter half of the book, the
author provides a multitude of teaching strategies appropriate for students of
all ages.
Guiding the Gifted Child : A Practical Source for Parents and Teachers, by
James T. Webb, Elizabeth A. Meckstroth, Stephanie S. Tolan (Contributor), 1989,
Gifted Psychology Press
Book Description
Gifted children have special emotional and intellectual needs. Their
characteristics, combined with current educational practices, often put them at
risk for problems. This award winning book contains chapters on motivation,
discipline, peer relationships, sibling relationships, stress management,
depression and many other issues that parents and teachers encounter daily with
these children. This book has been called "The Dr. Spock book for parents of
gifted children" and has sold over 90,000 copies.
Features:
Social and emotional issues of the gifted child are discussed. Dr. Delisle is a passionate defender of gifted children.
Keys to Parenting the Gifted Child (Barron's Parenting Keys), by Sylvia
B., Ph.D. Rimm, 1994, Barrons Educational Series.
Synopsis
Gifted children deserve the opportunity to learn all that they're capable of
learning, at their own--unusually rapid--pace. In this book, an expert gives
advice on how parents can discover whether or not their child is actually
gifted, and how to select preschool and kindergarten programs.
Raising Your Spirited Child : A Guide for Parents Whose Child Is More Intense,
Sensitive, Perceptive, Persistent, and Energetic, by Mary Sheedy
Kurcinka, 1992, Harperperennial Library.
Review
Recently, temperament traits have come to the forefront of child development
theory. In Raising Your Spirited Child, Mary Sheedy Kurcinka's first
contribution is to redefine the "difficult child" as the "spirited" child, a
child that is, as she says, MORE. Many people are leery about books that are too
quick to "type" kids, but Kurcinka, a parent of a spirited child herself and a
parent educator for 20 years, doesn't fall into that trap. Instead, she provides
tools to understanding your own temperament as well as your child's. When you
understand your temperamental matches--and your mismatches--you can better
understand, work, live, socialize, and enjoy spirit in your child. By reframing
challenging temperamental qualities in a positive way, and by giving readers
specific tools to work with these qualities, Kurcinka has provided a book that
will help all parents, especially the parents of spirited children, understand
and better parent their children.
Reviving Ophelia : Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls, by Mary Bray
Pipher, 1995, Ballantine Books.
Review
At adolescence, says Mary Pipher, "girls become 'female impersonators' who
fit their whole selves into small, crowded spaces." Many lose spark, interest,
and even IQ points as a "girl-poisoning" society forces a choice between being
shunned for staying true to oneself and struggling to stay within a narrow
definition of female. Pipher's alarming tales of a generation swamped by pain
may be partly informed by her role as a therapist who sees troubled children and
teens, but her sketch of a tougher, more menacing world for girls often hits the
mark. She offers some prescriptions for changing society and helping girls
resist.
The Survival Guide for Parents of Gifted Kids : How to Understand, Live With, and
Stick Up for Your Gifted Child, by Sally Yahnke Walker, Susan K.
Perry, 1991, Free Spirit Press
Review
Practical, applicable advice. I bought this book by chance and it has been a
great help for us with our 8 yr. old son. At some points, it's too "older kid" heavy...so if you're looking for a book w/ advice on dealing with young Gifted
Kids this probably isn't for you. BUT, if you've got school age kids and are
beginning to think about or are currently dealing with a gifted kid in school
you can get a lot of help in how to deal with all the quirks these kids have and
do at home/school. It's helped me help my perfectionistic son.
Teaching Gifted Kids in the Regular Classroom : Strategies and Techniques Every Teacher
Can Use to Meet the Academic Needs of the Gifted and Talented, by
Susan Winebrenner, Pamela Espeland (Editor), 1992, Free Spirit Press.
Review
This book is a classic. It is a very good "how to" book for teachers. It is
full of practical information and examples that teachers can use in their
classroom. It is an excellent book for parents to use to advocate for gifted
education with their teachers and in their school districts. The techniques are
very low cost and easy to understand. A must read and must have!
Teaching Young Gifted Children in the Regular Classroom: Identifying, Nurturing, and
Challenging Ages 4-9, by Joan Franklin Smutny, M.A., Sally Yahnke
Walker, Ph.D. and Elizabeth A. Meckstroth, M.Ed., M.S.W.
Synopsis (from Free Spirit Press http://www.freespirit.com/)
Most schools don't formally identify children as "gifted" until the third or
fourth grade. By then, some of the brightest children have become bored,
resentful underachievers. Written for educators (and parents) who believe that
all children deserve the best education we can give them, this guide encourages
and enables you to identify gifted children as early as age 4 and create a
learning environment that supports all students.
They Say My Kid is Gifted: Now What? by F. Richard Olenchak
Book Description
They Say My Kid's Gifted: NOW WHAT? acts as a quick, easy-to-use guide for parents of gifted kids. This handbook offers a jargon-free introduction to working with schools to help ensure a quality education experience for gifted kids. From understanding identification procedures and choosing a teacher, to ensuring a child's success with a gifted program and curriculum, this book is an essential read for any parent working with schools. This resource also includes a discussion of gifted education in the regular classroom setting and a special section devoted to solutions for "when all else fails." They Say My Kid's Gifted: NOW WHAT? is complete with an extensive listing of state and national resources. This book is a service publication of the National Association for Gifted Children.