Being Smart about Gifted Children: A Guidebook for Parents and Educators [Paperback]

Dona J. Matthews (Author), Joanne F. Foster (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2004 | ISBN-10: 0910707669 | ISBN-13: 978-0910707664

Written for parents and educators - especially those who live and work with gifted/high-ability children - the authors describe ways to develop children's natural abilities.

Introducing the "mystery" and "mastery" models of gifted education, they invite controversy by challenging several commonly held assumptions. They then present practical strategies to help parents and educators identify and nurture the abilities of children with high ability.

This book answers the charges that special programs for gifted children are elitist. The authors demonstrate that it is simply appropriate to provide educational experiences that each child needs at a particular time.

Features include:

"Mystery" and "Mastery" models Identification procedures
Learning issues
Programming options
Social and behavioral concerns
Teacher development processes
Gifted education trends
Parenting strategies

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Comprehensive, written in easy, informative style. The authors frequently give practical suggestions. Broad view of many issues concerning gifted children." -- Northwestern University Center for Talent Development

"First-rate overview of the current state of gifted education from multiple contexts and theoretical perspectives. Noteworthy sourcebook. Worth reading? Yes!" -- The Journal of Human Intelligences

("Being Smart") "shows that providing appropriate educational experiences for children of high ability is the right thing to do." -- Duke Gifted Letter, Winter, 2005

Winner of the 2005 Arizona Book Publishing Association Glyph Award in the Education category. -- 2005 Glyph Awards!

About the Author

Dona Matthews, Ph.D. is Director of the Hunter College Center for Gifted Studies and Associate Professor of Special Education, City University of New York. Joanne Foster, Ed.D. teaches Educational Psychology as well as Gifted Studies at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto, and is the Gifted Education Consultant for a large school board in Toronto. Both have teaching experience, were coordinators of programs for gifted children, and have written and spoken extensively throughout Canada and the U.S.

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Great Potential Press (November 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0910707669
• ISBN-13: 978-0910707664
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #533,777 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The first gifted book you should read!, January 28, 2006

By 

Carolyn K. "Mrs. Hoagie" (Hoagies' Gifted Education Page) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Being Smart about Gifted Children: A Guidebook for Parents and Educators (Paperback)

Being Smart is a great introduction to giftedness, for the parent, teacher, even administrator, those who are brand new, and those who think they "know all about gifted children." Dispelling myths and answering questions along the way, Matthews and Foster step us through giftedness from identification to education, and into social / emotional. How to answer the tricky questions, how to support gifted kids in today's egalitarian world, and what to tell the kids along the way - Being Smart covers it all.

All the while, they meet their goal: share details on how we, parents and educators, can meet the gifted child's educational and social / emotional needs. Much more than just an introduction, Being Smart should be in every gifted book collection...

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Parents of Gifted Children must read this!, December 7, 2004

By 

Carole Jeune "Carole" (Toronto, Ontario) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Being Smart about Gifted Children: A Guidebook for Parents and Educators (Paperback)

This book is so very informative. It has been written in a way that's easy for parents to read and understand. I just got it a couple of weeks ago, and already I've learned so much! It answers virtually any question I can think of. Its approach to nurturing gifted children is very practical and easy to implement. It addresses many concerns intelligently and sensitively, with the child's best interest in mind. It is definitely a book that I will continue to refer back to time and time again.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a great resource!, January 11, 2005

By 

Christopher Jay (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Being Smart about Gifted Children: A Guidebook for Parents and Educators (Paperback)

This book, which emphasizes the unique characteristics of the gifted learner and the fact that such children are "not a homogeneous population," presents a big challenge to parents looking for the right 'educational fit' for their children.

But it is full of valuable information for those who seek to better understand gifted learners, intelligence testing, educational programs for gifted children and more. I highly recommend this book.