Critical Issues and Practices in Gifted Education: What the Research Says (Paperback)

~ National Assoc for Gifted Children (Author)
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Critical Issues and Practices in Gifted Education: What the Research Says is a comprehensive, yet concise reference book that summarizes and evaluates the research of important topics in the field of gifted education. The material is presented in a clear format, organized alphabetically by topic for easy access, and is an excellent quick reference book for anyone seeking knowledge and understanding of research in gifted education.
    —Gifted Child Today, Vol. 31, No. 2, Spring 2008<br /><br />Critical Issues and Practices in Gifted Education: What the Research Says is a massive compendium that digests an immense amount of empirical research concerning education of gifted children into readily accessible essays. The collaborative effort of dozens of experts, Critical Issues and Practices in Gifted Education looks at what the latest statistics have to say about homeschooling, talent search programs, individual educational subjects from math to elementary and secondary science to music, the neural basis of giftedness, cognitive characteristics of the gifted, and much, much more. An excellent reference and resource especially recommended for educators of gifted students in all grades. --
    —James A.Cox, Editor-in-Chief, Midwest Book Review

Critical Issues and Practices in Gifted Education: What the Research Says is a massive compendium that digests an immense amount of empirical research concerning education of gifted children into readily accessible essays. The collaborative effort of dozens of experts, Critical Issues and Practices in Gifted Education looks at what the latest statistics have to say about homeschooling, talent search programs, individual educational subjects from math to elementary and secondary science to music, the neural basis of giftedness, cognitive characteristics of the gifted, and much, much more. An excellent reference and resource especially recommended for educators of gifted students in all grades. --
    —James A.Cox, Editor-in-Chief, Midwest Book Review

Product Description

Critical Issues and Practices in Gifted Education: What the Research Says is the definitive reference book for those searching for a summary and evaluation of the literature on giftedness and gifted education.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 760 pages
• Publisher: Prufrock Press; 1 edition (November 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593632959
• ISBN-13: 978-1593632953
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.7 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #571,272 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a source for all the facts from years of gifted research , June 3, 2008

By	Lorel Shea "gifted education at bellaonline.com" (New England) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

I am very excited to share my thoughts on Critical Issues and Practices in Gifted Education -What the Research Says, edited by Jonathan A. Plucker and Carolyn M. Callahan. This book is a veritable tome. It contains over 750 pages of up to date information on myriad aspects of gifted development and education. Dozens of well qualified professionals contributed to this work, including researchers and educators from all around the United States. You may recognize names like Sally Reis, Joyce VanTassel-Baska, Nancy M. Robinson, Joseph Renzulli, and David Henry Feldman listed among the contributing authors. There are several contributors from the international gifted education community as well, such as Miraca Gross of Australia. Additionally, the book was reviewed by such accomplished people as Edward Amend, Dona Matthews, and Sylvia Rimm, just to name a few. The project was clearly a huge undertaking, and I believe that this book will stand alone for many years as a reliable compendium of gifted research. The book separates fact from fiction with it's dedication to only presenting well documented studies carefully selected for accuracy.

The book is divided into seven main areas of focus: conceptual and foundational issues, curricular issues, cognitive issues, affective issues, programmatic issues, teacher and parent issues, and special populations of gifted students. A total of 50 chapters fall under these subject areas, each designed to clarify what research has been done on a given topic, what questions have been raised, and what conclusions may have been reached. Chapters are modestly sized, ranging from less than ten pages to about 30. References are conveniently noted at the end of each chapter. Topics are arranged alphabetically.

We'll use chapter one as a sample. Chapter one is "Academic Competitions". It presents a brief overview of different types of competitions, such as spelling bees, science fairs, and academic challenge bowls. The authors, Stuart N. Omdal and M. R. E. Richards, then distinguish the differences between academic fairs and contests. They define the major themes of current research. The questions addressed I have paraphrased here as:

1.What are the immediate benefits for students?
2.What are the long term benefits for students?
3.How do personal characteristics of competitors vary?
4.How do students regard these competitions?

Empirically based conclusions follow, along with a passage on limitations of the research and another on practical implications. A resource list is next, and the chapter ends with references.

The range of topics in this volume is quite diverse. Other chapters involve ADHD, highly gifted children, homeschooling, motivation, policy and advocacy, prodigies, suicide, teacher preparation, twice-exceptional learners, and visual and performing arts, and many more specific areas that are of great interest to those who parent or instruct gifted children.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Especially recommended for educators of gifted students in all grades, May 6, 2008

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Critical Issues and Practices in Gifted Education: What the Research Says is a massive compendium that digests an immense amount of empirical research concerning education of gifted children into readily accessible essays. The collaborative effort of dozens of experts, Critical Issues and Practices in Gifted Education looks at what the latest statistics have to say about homeschooling, talent search programs, individual educational subjects from math to elementary and secondary science to music, the neural basis of giftedness, cognitive characteristics of the gifted, and much, much more. "Ewing and Yong (1992) compared learning style preferences among ethnically diverse groups of gifted students and found many significant differences among gifted Black, Mexican American, and American-born Chinese students concerning their preferences for noise, light, visual modality, studying in afternoon, and persistence. This study revealed that Mexican American students were most characterized by responsibility, motivation, and preference for kinesthetic modality, and gifted American-born Chinese students were persistent, responsive, and preferred to study in the afternoon and in bright light. However, for gifted black students, the three least preferred variables were auditory modality, structure, and noise." An excellent reference and resource especially recommended for educators of gifted students in all grades.