16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Puts the parent in the driver's seat, December 22, 2008
This review is from: Raising a Gifted Child: A Parenting Success Handbook (Paperback)
Raising a Gifted Child-A Parenting Success Handbook is a new release from Prufrock Press. Author Carol Fertig writes a popular blog on gifted children at the Prufrock press website, and has many years of experience as a classroom teacher and gifted education specialist.
In the introduction, Fertig states, "There is no one way to define giftedness and no 'correct' prescription for working with highly able individuals. Instead of giving you 'magic' solutions, in this book, I have provided a large menu of strategies, organizations, and web sites to help you help your child learn and develop." She follows through on her promise with an open view of giftedness and myriad ways to encourage learning and personal growth.
I won't run through every chapter here, but I will offer some of the highlights. Chapter One, "Who Is This Kid Anyway?" discusses reasons to test. The author also advises parents not to get hung up on labels or test scores,but to pay attention to strengths and challenges instead.
Chapter Two, "Understanding Gifted Kids" has a useful chart of concomitant characteristics of giftedness. Verbal proficiency, for instance, can be positive when it means a child is articulate, but also negative in cases when the verbal child dominates conversation. A goal oriented individual may get tasks done, but also may be seen as stubborn and inflexible. Recognizing particular tendencies and proclivities will help children to learn to focus on the positive aspects of their strengths. Significant time in this chapter is also devoted to perfectionism, and social skills, asynchrony, and the extrovert/introvert scale are covered as well.
Fertig is a former teacher and parent to two gifted children. In chapter Four, "Parental Responsibilities", she encourages parents to work on improving school situations and not just complaining about them. In her words, "To be effective, parents of bright children have the responsibility to learn as much as they can about gifted education, to work with schools and districts in constructive ways, and to offer enrichment and other learning opportunities outside of school."
Chapter Seven, "Specific Subjects" is full of many suggestions and links for parents and children to explore. Various programs, competitions, print resources and clubs are mentioned, and all are categorized by subject and described by the author. This section in itself is a good reason to buy this book. There are also further resources listed in the back of the guide.
Carol Fertig sees gifted children as unique individuals and her message is clear. She wants parents to know their kids, know their options, and be proactive about providing educational challenges.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is a Must-Read Book for Parents of Gifted Kids!, December 9, 2008
This review is from: Raising a Gifted Child: A Parenting Success Handbook (Paperback)
Raising a Gifted Child: A Parenting Success Handbook by Carol Fertig is a highly readable book that gives parents information about giftedness, outlines parental responsibilities in raising gifted children, expresses the importance of creativity--which is huge in gifted children--covers specific subjects in which kids might possess exceptional abilities, and describes some uniques groups of gifted kids and their specific needs. Along the way, Fertig offers many resources, both print and online, for parents to access in determining their children's giftedness and in meeting their needs.
What I most appreciated about Fertig's book, however, was her tone. When wondering whether a child is gifted and how to help our children make the most of their innate abilities, we moms and dads of gifted kids often switch into hyper-parenting mode. We do what we can to create the best educational experience for our children, often amid an educational context that doesn't understand a gifted child's needs. We strive to set the stage for our children to meet their full potential. While affirming these desires and efforts, Fertig communicates the necessity of relaxing a bit, of allowing our children to unfold in their way and time, and of accepting their challenges as growth opportunities.
I highly recommend Raising a Gifted Child. If you suspect your child is gifted, you will gain much information and encouragement for the discovery journey ahead of you. And if you already know you have a gifted child, this book is, at the least, required for your resource shelf and, at the most, required reading. My copy is already underlined and dog-eared, and I know I will refer to it often in the coming years as my children continue to grow and develop into the amazing people they are destined to become.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Powerful Resource, November 20, 2008
This review is from: Raising a Gifted Child: A Parenting Success Handbook (Paperback)
Great book! Refreshing in that the author doesn't claim to have all the answers. Rather, she gives you resources for you to custom-tailor how you want to raise your unique child. It's very broad in how "gifted" is defined and offers ideas to cover a whole spectrum of talents. It's something I feel I'll be re-reading and referring back to again and again as my child grows!
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