Gifted Children: Myths And Realities [Paperback]

Ellen Winner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 16, 1997 | ISBN-10: 0465017592 | ISBN-13: 978-0465017591

In this fascinating book, Ellen Winner uncovers and explores nine myths about giftedness, and shows us what gifted children are really like.Using vivid case studies, Winner paints a complex picture of the gifted child. Here we meet David, a three-year-old who learned to read in two weeks; KyLee, a five-year-old who mastered on his own all of the math concepts expected by the end of elementary school; and Nadia, an autistic and retarded “savant” who nevertheless could draw like a Renaissance master.Winner uses her research with these and several other extraordinary children, as well as the latest biological and psychological evidence, to debunk the many myths about academic, musical, and artistic giftedness.Gifted Children also looks at the role played by schools in fostering exceptional abilities. Winner castigates schools for wasting resources on weak educational programs for the moderately gifted. Instead, she advocates elevating standards for all children, and focusing our resources for gifted education on those with extreme abilities—children who are left untouched by the kinds of minimal programs we have today.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Stephen, aged 5, fluently reads orchestral scores. Hillary, 12, ranked in the 99th percentile nationally in all subjects (math, language, reading, science, social studies) on standardized aptitude tests. Winner's case studies of exceptional children are as intrinsically interesting as her findings in this eye-opening study. Gifted children, we learn, are often socially isolated and unhappy. Having a high IQ is irrelevant to giftedness in art or music. Only a very few of the gifted become eminent, creative adults-and when parents are over-involved or push to excess, gifted children are especially likely to drop out or lose interest in their domain of talent. A Boston College psychology professor, Winner blames unchallenging, neglectful schools for wasting gifted children's time and potential. She recommends allowing exceptional students to skip grades and be given individualized instruction and advanced programs. Illustrated with remarkably precocious artwork, her survey throws much light on creativity, learning and personal growth in both normals and gifteds.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

In this examination of commonly held beliefs about gifted children, Winner (psychology, Boston Coll.) considers a number of questions: Are gifted children gifted in all subject areas? Are artistically gifted children gifted or talented? Does giftedness depend on IQ? What role do environment and biology play in giftedness? Are gifted children psychological and social misfits? In her analyses, Winner cites and explains a broad range of recent research, including extensive notes and references with each chapter. She then offers her recommendations for dealing with gifted children in America's educational systems?recommendations that are controversial and not necessarily supported by her research. She calls for elevating standards for all while cutting back on expenditures on those she deems only somewhat gifted. The value of this provocative book is in its comprehensiveness. Recommended for both public and academic libraries.?Kay Brodie, Chesapeake Coll., Wye Mills, Md.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (May 16, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0465017592
• ISBN-13: 978-0465017591
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 1.2 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #80,954 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars very informative but not a how-to August 14, 2000

By Pamela Fuchs

Format:Paperback

I enjoyed read this book and read it in one or two sittings. Written in a neutral tone that will appeal to both professionals and laypeople, it examines the latest scientific and sociological evidence about profound giftedness--what it is and isn't, how it is measured and recognized, how profoundly gifted children differ from their peers, myths about giftedness. The book delivers if you keep its scope in mind: it is intended primarly as an introduction. It is neither a primer nor a how to. The author emphatically rejects the philosophy that "all children are gifted." On the contrary, she states that profound giftedness is extremely rare and not to be confused with the garden variety brightness that passes for "gifted" in many highly competitive urban and suburban schools today. The most interesting section for me was the chapter on artistic giftedness. The author compares the personalities and drawings of children of "average ability" with those of "exceptional ability." Parents who suspect that their child may be gifted will find these sections helpful (though I suspect that precious few will be of the same caliber as the children researched in this book.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Authoritative, thorough, and convincing February 9, 1998

By P. Lozar

Format:Paperback

This is the best-researched book on this subject that I've ever read (the bibliography is 1/4 of the book). While the author doesn't provide any revolutionary insights of her own, she's done a terrific job of summarizing current research on gifted children, debunking commonly held stereotypes about giftedness, and translating researchers' insights into practical advice. While her style is rather dry, the book is accessible and generally free of psychological jargon. The book is a gold mine for parents and teachers, and a benchmark for researchers into giftedness.
I was particularly struck by Winner's convincing data showing that gifted children's minds actually work differently from average children's; they're not just "more of the same." As a former gifted child who went through ten years of educational hell before finally hitting my stride in mid-high school, I think that this point can't be emphasized strongly enough. We're capable of growing up into swans; don't try to convince us that we're defective ducks!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Overview of the Study of Giftedness January 13, 2001

By Joshua Freeman

Format:Paperback

"Gifted Children: Myths ad Realities," by Ellen Winner, is an excellent overview of what is currently known about gifted children, including their heredity, information about their early childhood, their learning patterns, their educations, and many more things. I recommend this as an introduction to the study of gifted children, or to anyone who wants to acquire a basic knowledge and understading of ths topic.
There is a good balance in this book between individual examples and case studies and more general theories and studies. The author makes her points of view on this topic manifest in many parts of this book; it is not a dry textbook that pretends to be equally accepting of all beliefs.
It also has a marvelous bibliography. I recommend to readers reading the bibliography of every chapter that you found interesting.