Academic Competitions for Gifted Students: A Resource Book for Teachers and Parents [Hardcover]

Mary K. Tallent-Runnels (Author), Ann C. Candler-Lotven (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2, 1995 | ISBN-10: 0803961553 | ISBN-13: 978-0803961555

This useful resource contains criteria for selecting and implementing academic competitions for students of all ages. Particular advice is offered on competitions for gifted students. The book will be of interest to both teachers and parents.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The book makes an excellent case for competitions as a means to meet the educational needs of gifted students at a time when funding has significantly decreased." (Joan Smutny, Gifted Specialist, National-Louis University )

"The chapters are cohesive and well integrated." (Kay L. Gibson, Professor of Curriculum & Instruction )

"The authors are knowledgeable and respected experts in the field of gifted education. There is no other book that I am aware of that provides this valuable information to teachers, parents, and coordinators of gifted programs." (Barbara Polnick, Assistant Professor )

"A key resource perfect for anyone who would understand academic competitions for Grades K-12." (The Bookwatch, June 2008 ) --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Ann C. Candler-Lotven is Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Texas A&M University-Texarkana. She has 30 years of experience in the education of students with exceptionalities. During those years, she also worked with the parents and teachers of exceptional students. Her research interests include exceptional learners, learning and student strategies, and gifted students. She has authored numerous articles, books, and book chapters in the field of special education. She has published in Academic Therapy, Child Lan­guage Teaching and Therapy, Gifted Child Quarterly and the Journal for the Education of the Gifted.

Mary K. Tallent-Runnels is a Professor of Educational Psychol­ogy in the College of Education at Texas Tech University. She has over 30 years of experience working with parents and teachers of gifted children ages of 4 to 17. In addition to her time as both a public and private school teacher of gifted students and administrator of gifted programs, she is the former director of the IDEAL program at Texas Tech University. She is the recipient of several teaching and research awards at both the public school and university levels. Her research interests are gifted children and online instruction. She is the author of numerous articles in gifted and talented education as well as in online teaching. She has published in journals such as Gifted Child Quarterly, The Journal for the Education of the Gifted, Roeper Review, G/C/T, Contemporary Educational Psychology, Review of Educational Research, and the Journal of Experimental Education.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 232 pages
• Publisher: Corwin Press (November 2, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803961553
• ISBN-13: 978-0803961555
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,612,731 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Competitions for ALL Youth, March 17, 2008

By 

Fun Life - See all my reviews

This review is from: Academic Competitions for Gifted Students: A Resource Book for Teachers and Parents (Paperback)

A better title for the book would be "Fun Competitions for Youth". This is NOT a book only for "Gifted Students"! While some of the competitions described are certainly for students who have a strong interest in a specific area most do not require that a student be "gifted" with a high IQ.

This book would be an excellent addition to any school library for use by teachers in all subject areas and should be borrowed from the local library by home school parents who want to add fun to their curriculum or parents of public school students who would like to offer their child an exciting opportunity. Most entries have a web address that the reader can go to for more information and applications.

Of the 170 "competitions" listed in the book 78 can be entered by a single student, or a group as small as three (about four competitions). The 78 competitions I identified did not include those that were only open to students of a specific race (four or five), those based on the knowledge of a foreign language (four or five) nor ones that most students would be prevented from participating in because of cost.

The opening chapter has a number of great ideas about how to empower youth to participate in these "competitions" without feeling that not "winning" is somehow "loosing".

I was pleased to find that a number of the competitions actually "awarded" a certificate or something like it to all students who entered. I would love it if every competition would send each participant a thank you letter telling them how great it is that they submitted an entry. Nothing is quite as exciting as knowing someone thinks you are great simply because you participate!

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for any who would understand academic competitions for grades K-12, June 7, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Academic Competitions for Gifted Students: A Resource Book for Teachers and Parents (Paperback)

Mary K. Tallant-Runnels and Ann C. Candler-Lotven's ACADEMIC COMPETITIONS FOR GIFTED STUDENTS: A RESOURCE BOOK FOR TEACHERS AND PARENTS is a key resource perfect for any who would understand academic competitions for grades K-12. From their impact and potential problems to selecting events to match student strengths, ACADEMIC COMPETITIONS appears in a second, updated edition to make a case for matching academic contests to the needs of special students.