Being Smart About Gifted Children: A Guidebook For Parents And Educators (Paperback)

~ (Author), Joanne F. Foster (Author) "There is no such thing as a "typical gifted child.''..." (more)
Key Phrases: exceptionally capable learners, gifted identification, handbook ofgiftedness, United States, North America, David Feldman (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Comprehensive, written in easy, informative style. The authors frequently give practical suggestions. Broad view of many issues concerning gifted children." -- Northwestern University Center for Talent Development

"First-rate overview of the current state of gifted education from multiple contexts and theoretical perspectives. Noteworthy sourcebook. Worth reading? Yes!" -- The Journal of Human Intelligences

("Being Smart") "shows that providing appropriate educational experiences for children of high ability is the right thing to do." -- Duke Gifted Letter, Winter, 2005

Winner of the 2005 Arizona Book Publishing Association Glyph Award in the Education category. -- 2005 Glyph Awards!

Product Description

Written for parents and educators - especially those who live and work with gifted/high-ability children - the authors describe ways to develop children's natural abilities.

Introducing the "mystery" and "mastery" models of gifted education, they invite controversy by challenging several commonly held assumptions. They then present practical strategies to help parents and educators identify and nurture the abilities of children with high ability.

This book answers the charges that special programs for gifted children are elitist. The authors demonstrate that it is simply appropriate to provide educational experiences that each child needs at a particular time.

Features include:

"Mystery" and "Mastery" models Identification procedures
Learning issues
Programming options
Social and behavioral concerns
Teacher development processes
Gifted education trends
Parenting strategies

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 424 pages
• Publisher: Great Potential Press (November 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0910707669
• ISBN-13: 978-0910707664
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #651,758 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The first gifted book you should read!, January 28, 2006

By	Carolyn K. "Mrs. Hoagie" (Hoagies' Gifted Education Page) - See all my reviews

Being Smart is a great introduction to giftedness, for the parent, teacher, even administrator, those who are brand new, and those who think they "know all about gifted children." Dispelling myths and answering questions along the way, Matthews and Foster step us through giftedness from identification to education, and into social / emotional. How to answer the tricky questions, how to support gifted kids in today's egalitarian world, and what to tell the kids along the way - Being Smart covers it all.

All the while, they meet their goal: share details on how we, parents and educators, can meet the gifted child's educational and social / emotional needs. Much more than just an introduction, Being Smart should be in every gifted book collection...

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Parents of Gifted Children must read this!, December 7, 2004

By	Carole Jeune "Carole" (Toronto, Ontario) - See all my reviews

This book is so very informative. It has been written in a way that's easy for parents to read and understand. I just got it a couple of weeks ago, and already I've learned so much! It answers virtually any question I can think of. Its approach to nurturing gifted children is very practical and easy to implement. It addresses many concerns intelligently and sensitively, with the child's best interest in mind. It is definitely a book that I will continue to refer back to time and time again.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a great resource!, January 11, 2005

By	Christopher Jay (New York City) - See all my reviews

This book, which emphasizes the unique characteristics of the gifted learner and the fact that such children are "not a homogeneous population," presents a big challenge to parents looking for the right 'educational fit' for their children.

But it is full of valuable information for those who seek to better understand gifted learners, intelligence testing, educational programs for gifted children and more. I highly recommend this book.