Exceptionally Gifted Children [Paperback]

Miraca U. M. Gross (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0415314917 | ISBN-13: 978-0415314916 | Publication Date: November 6, 2003 | Edition: 2

Exceptionally Gifted Children is unique. The first edition of this book, published in 1993, introduced 15 remarkable children, some of the most gifted young people ever studied, and traced their path through school, exploring their academic achievements (and in some cases enforced underachievement), their emotional development, their social relationships and their family relationships and upbringing. This new edition reviews these early years but also follows the young people over the subsequent ten years into adulthood.
No previous study has traced so closely and so sensitively the intellectual, social and emotional development of highly gifted young people. This 20 year study reveals the ongoing negative academic and social effects of prolonged underachievement and social isolation imposed on gifted children by inappropriate curriculum and class placement and shows clearly the long lasting benefits of thoughtfully planned individual educational programs. The young adults of this study speak out and show how what happened in school has influenced and still influences many aspects of their lives. Miraca Gross provides a clear, practical blueprint for teachers and parents who recognise the special learning needs of gifted children and seek to respond effectively.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Exceptionally Gifted Children is a powerful work that presents a complex, multidimensional picture of a special population among the gifted. Gross' research is a notable contribution toward minimizing surprise and ignorance about the highly gifted, thus potentially helping to make programs and services more consistently and proactively responsive to individual children's needs'. - Gifted Child Quarterly

'If you are a parent who suspects that your child is gifted, this book is a must read. If you are a teacher or administrator, this book will help you dispel myths about highly gifted children and provide you with research-based information to share with parents, other teachers, and administrators. If you are a college professor, this book is an excellent resource to use in courses on gifted education or to provide background material about highly gifted students in developmental psychology, educational psychology, or teacher education courses.'
- Teachers College Record

About the Author

Professor Miraca Gross is the Director of the Gifted Education Research, Resource and Information Centre at the University of South Wales- the largest gifted education centre outside North America.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 2 edition (November 6, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415314917
• ISBN-13: 978-0415314916
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #251,142 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinary Children, Exceptional Book, August 19, 2000

By 

Draper Kauffman, Ed.D. (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Exceptionally Gifted Children (Hardcover)

For many parents, teachers, and school admnistrators who need to understand exceptionally and profoundly gifted children, this book is the one that finally makes the world and the educational and emotional needs of these children comprehensible. It is the first book recommended to newcomers in the online support groups for parents of "EG" and "PG" children. It is scavenged from 2nd hand sales, hoarded, and loaned with care. The publisher's remainders were sold out [within] 48 hours of a notice posted to one email list.

It is easy to see why. Miraca Gross brings her subjects alive with her even-handed and clear-sighted case studies. The narratives illustrate the lack of comprehension frequently encountered in schools when children are functioning 4 to 8 grade levels ahead of their "peers" intellectually, and the stress and outright cruelty often inflicted on these children and their parents as a result. It also documents the almost immediate elimination of these problems when appropriate educational settings are found.

The book was a continuation of Gross's doctoral research, and it shows it's origin in the data analyses. These sections aren't for everyone, but they are quite helpful for those with a research or education background and interest. Others can skip directly to the summaries. But for both groups, the case studies are what make the book.

If you have one of these remarkable kids, I recommend that order a used copy from Amazon and keep your eyes peeled for it elsewhere...

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read This Book If You Have a Gifted Child, April 10, 2004

By 

Shulamit Widawsky "Shulamit.info" (Northern Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Exceptionally Gifted Children (Paperback)

Miraca Gross has brought us an amazing gift: she continued her original 10-year longitudinal study of exceptionally gifted children, and brought us up-to-date another ten years later. Following the pain and successes of these unusual young people over the course of 20 years gives the reader tremendous vistas from which to gain perspective of the way society treats the highly gifted...and what that does to them.

If you already think your child is gifted, but she or he isn't "fitting in" you just might have an exceptionally gifted child. Since the intellectual level of these children is high, even compared to other gifted kids, parents don't generally have any true means of comparison. They often have never met any other kids like theirs.

Instead of guessing, read this book. You will know--quickly--if you see your kid there. This is NOT a book about "perfect," high-flying, academic achievers. To the contrary: it is a painful examination of how enforced academic underachievement has hurt these kids, and how appropriate intellectual challenge (when they could get it) helped them feel comfortable in their skins.

Read this book if you think your child is gifted. Read this book if you "just knew" there was something special about your child when they were little, but they've never fit in school. Read this book if you work with or care for the gifted.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended for anyone interested in gifted children, April 16, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Exceptionally Gifted Children (Hardcover)

This book is a fascinating study of a small group of exceptionally gifted (IQ>160) children in New South Wales, Australia. Gross follows these children over several years, and includes extensive details about their interests, family background, progress through school, and social and emotional as well as academic status. She shows that when these children are not allowed to learn at an appropriate pace and level it places them at serious risk. It is interesting even for those who do not live with such children.