Helping Gifted Children Soar: A Practical Guide for Parents and Teachers (Paperback)

~ Carol Ann Strip (Author), (Author) "Parenting a gifted child is like living in a theme park full of thrill rides..." (more)
Key Phrases: Johnny Appleseed, United States, Miss Caulfield (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a breakthrough book...and anyone who goes through its pages will be rewarded by the effort." -- Geno Lawrenzi, People Weekly

"...a well-integrated text that provides under one cover practical approaches and information for parents and teachers...." -- Mamon Gibson, Jr., Director of Gifted Programs, Chicago Public Schools

"Helping Gifted Children Soar" is an invaluable, informative guide, resource, and reference. -- Wisconsin Bookwatch, November 2000

"This excellent book helps...save another important natural resource--the gifted children." -- Jack Hanna, Director Emeritus, Columbus Zoo, author, and host of Animal Adventures

"Very readable, well-organized, practical...a terrific book!" -- Dr. Ruth Richards, A to Z Home's Cool

"well-written and practical book that de-mystifies the world of the gifted child." -- World Gifted Magazine

Clear, enthusiastic writing describes different manifestations of giftedness as well as options for curricular and educational advancement. -- Library Journal

Dr. Strip's book is valuable reading for any parent or teacher of gifted children. -- Today's Librarian, March, 2001

This user-friendly guidebook educates parents and teachers about gifted issues. -- MCGT Outlook November/December 2000

Product Description

Helping Gifted Children Soar: A Practical Guide for Parents and Teachers:

This user-friendly guidebook educates parents and teachers about important gifted issues such as working together, evalutaing classroom programs, forming parent support groups, choosing appropriate curriculum, meeting social and emotional needs, surviving the ups and downs, and much more!

The information and useful advice provided make this book an ideal resource both for those just starting out in the gifted field as well as those who are seasoned veterans.

Features Include:

-Gifted minority and gifted disabled issues.

-Strategies for parenting and teaching gifted children.

-Social and emotional concerns specific to gifted children.

-A question and answer section for further understanding.

-An in-depth reference appendix for additional support.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 270 pages
• Publisher: Great Potential Press (October 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0910707413
• ISBN-13: 978-0910707411
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #387,481 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

120 of 120 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Helping Gifted Children Soar, March 15, 2001

By	Nadine Huffman & Elizabeth Glier (USA) - See all my reviews

Helping Gifted Children Soar (A Practical Guide for Parents and Teachers) by Carol A. Strip, Ph.D with Gretchen Hirsch. Gifted Psychology Press, 270 pp.

Reviewed by Nadine Huffman and Elizabeth Glier

During our combined 20+ years of parenting and teaching our gifted children, we've read countless books on giftedness, which have yielded various reactions and degrees of satisfaction. Like the porridge in the three bears' cottage, many seemed "too hot" or "too cold" - too simplistic, too academia-oriented, too esoteric. Only a select few were "just right," worthy of recommendation and a place in our home libraries.

So when we set out to review Carol Strip's Helping Gifted Children Soar, we were, quite frankly, a bit skeptical. Indeed, the book has a great pedigree. It's published by Dr. James Webb's (co-author of Guiding the Gifted Child) Gifted Psychology Press. But would its claim, "A Practical Guide for Parents and Teachers" prove to be justifiable, earning it a permanent place on our bookshelves?

Fortunately for the gifted community, this book falls into the "just right" category. It's excellent for teachers, and even better for parents. Dr. Strip's breadth of experience -- as a regular and gifted classroom teacher, gifted program administrator, and university professor - serves her exceedingly well. Since working within the educational system is her forte, the book is loaded with comprehensive advice and concrete suggestions on how to meet children's educational needs.

Written in laymen's terms, the book is extremely readable. Particularly incisive sections include defining smart vs. gifted; selecting optimal teachers; exploring learning options (e.g., acceleration, curriculum compacting, and pull-outs); characteristics of good gifted programs; and effective parent/teacher communication. Dr. Strip also offers a plethora of solid parenting suggestions, and a useful question/answer section. The book includes over 20 pages of first-class resources and references.

One comment: Given the paradigm shift towards homeschooling among many gifted parents today, it's curious that this option rates only a nominal mention in the book. Homeschooling is neither Dr. Strip's emphasis nor her area of expertise. But there's enough other pertinent material to make it a worthwhile read for homeschooling parents. The techniques are relevant and valuable in any educational setting.

Helping Gifted Children Soar may well become the gifted equivalent to Dr. Spock or Penelope Leach on your home reference shelf. Together with Guiding the Gifted Child (Webb, Meckstroth and Tolan) and Teaching Gifted Kids in the Regular Classroom (Winebrenner), it's a terrific resource for your child's teacher, gifted specialist, principal, or school library.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gifted Book, February 16, 2001

By	"125" (a Philadelphia native) - See all my reviews

I wish Helping Gifted Children Soar: A Practical Guide for Parents and Teachers was in existence when my gifted son was young. How fortunate for those who now have it available to them. This book is like a sage who takes you by the hand and guides you through the world of giftedness, a territory that was unfamiliar to me when my son was growing up. "Eureka!" came to mind a number of times as I read instances and examples that now shed light on a number of areas relating to my son's development. The wide range of topics covered by this book is stunning ... the physical, social, intellectual, and emotional aspects of the gifted child. The content, written with clarity, provides in-depth guidelines for parents and teachers and demonstrates the importance of parents and teachers serving as allies in their understanding and support of the gifted child. Also included are real-life examples of gifted children and an informative reference section. Appealing and very helpful is the Table of Contents, which not only includes chapter titles, but also chapter subheadings, allowing one to locate topic information immediately. Kudos to Carol Strip and Gretchen Hirsch for their dedicated and important work.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Help for the Gifted for Teachers, Parents, and Grandparents, November 7, 2000

By	Evelyn Mccord "I love good books" (Columbus, OH USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Have you ever wondered whether or not your child is gifted or just "extra smart"? Have you ever wanted to know what to do with your own children who may fall into one or the other of these categories? Helping Your Gifted Children Soar answers those questions and many more about gifted children. As the mother and grandmother of gifted students, I highly recommend this book to everyone with an interest in or confusion about education for the gifted. The authors stress the importance of creating a partnership between parents and teachers to best serve the gifted child. Strip and Hirsch offer practical information about how to get the best education for your gifted child no matter what the educational setting. Gifted children need special handling, and this book offers sensible and thorough guidelines on how to deal with specific needs and problems. The case histories are fascinating. I found the questions and answers section to be extemely helpful. The entire book is written in an easy to understand format with plenty of wonderful examples in how to assist and nurture your gifted child. I highly recommend this book to everyone who wants to more about what makes children gifted and how you can help them achieve balance intellectually and socially. This would be a great birthday or holiday gift for any parent or grandparent who has a high-energy, high-achieving, and talented child in the family. I also recommend it to every teacher who tends to the needs of gifted children in the classroom.