More Than a Test Score: Teens Talk About Being Gifted, Talented, or Otherwise Extra-Ordinary [Paperback]

Ph.D. Robert A. Schultz (Author), Ph.D. Jim Delisle (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2006

We often hear about gifted kids, but seldom from them. Drawing on the voices of thousands of gifted teenagers—kids from around the world who responded to an online survey—this book is a real-life look at what being gifted means to teens today. What is giftedness all about? What's it like to be smarter than some of your friends? What about expectations, mistakes, getting along, gifted programs, and dull days at school? Includes hundreds of quotes from teens ages 13-19, brief biographies, and activities. Essential reading for gifted teens and the adults who care about them.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Robert A. Schultz, Ph.D., is a professor in Gifted Education and Curriculum Studies at the University of Toledo in Ohio. A writer, speaker, and consultant, he manages the Gifted Kids Speak Web site.

James R. Delisle, Ph.D., has taught gifted children and those who work on their behalf for more than 30 years. He retired from Kent State University in 2008 after 25 years of service as a professor of special education. Throughout his career, James also worked as a part-time teacher of gifted middle school children.

The author of more than 250 articles and 14 books, James' work has been translated into multiple languages, and has appeared in professional journals as well as The New York Times and on The Oprah Winfrey Show. A frequent presenter on gifted children’s intellectual and emotional growth, Jim has addressed audiences in 48 states and numerous nations.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing (October 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1575422212
• ISBN-13: 978-1575422213
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,427,976 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gifted Teens Talk About Giftedness, September 24, 2008

By 

Lorel Shea (New England) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: More Than a Test Score: Teens Talk About Being Gifted, Talented, or Otherwise Extra-Ordinary (Paperback)

Robert A. Schultz and James R. Delisle have collected firsthand accounts about giftedness written by gifted teens for this book, "More Than Test Score". Hundreds of kids from all across the US share their unique stories and viewpoints, on everything from fitting in with peers to what the future may hold. Some comments are heart wrenching, while others are humorous.

The book is organized into six chapters as follows:

1.What Does It Mean to Be a Gifted Teen?
2.Fitting in With Friends and Peers
3.Dealing with Expectations- From Others AND Yourself
4.Can Your School Keep Up with You?
5.Family Life: Being Gifted at Home
6.Here Comes the Future

One of the questions in chapter one is, "What are the best and worst parts about being gifted?"

A fifteen year old boy from North Carolina replies, "Usually, my brain is my favorite playmate, but occasionally it turns on me just when I need it the most. I hate that. I really can't address this question any better than this, because since I've always been gifted, I have no basis for comparison. Do I ask other people what it;s like to be average?"
A sixteen year old girl from Oklahoma says, "Best: the teachers love us because we're the 'good' kids. Worst: people judge you before they even know you."

Chapter two offers insight into social issues. A question included here is, "Do you ever do anything just to go along with the crowd?"

A girl from Wisconsin notes, "Senseless conformity is a mark of ignorance."
While a gifted boy from Indiana states, "It can be fun pretending to be someone I'm not. It's really rather amusing."
One particularly poignant reply is form from a seventeen year old New Yorker, " No, not really. I'm just wallpaper. I try not to stick out, because as the ancient Asian saying goes, 'The nail that sticks out gets hammered down."

Each gifted teen offers unique perspective that may be helpful to young people struggling to make peace with their true selves and discover their passions. The comments are edited both to focus on typical answers and also to highlight differing points of view. Every gifted kid should be able to relate to some of these stories, and perhaps feel less alone.