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

by Dona J. Matthews, Joanne Foster

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

Genres: Parenting, Education

424 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2004

About the author

Dona Matthews, PhD, is a developmental psychologist who has worked with children, families, and schools since 1990. In addition to running a private practice with a focus on giftedness and other special needs, she was Executive Director, Millennium Dialogue on Early Child Development, University of Toronto, and founding Director, Hunter College Center for Gifted Studies and Education, City University of New York. She has published dozens of articles and book chapters, and is co-author of Beyond Intelligence: Secrets for Raising Happily Productive Kids; Being Smart about Gifted Education; The Development of Giftedness and Talent across the Life Span; and The Routledge International Companion to Gifted Education. www.beyondintelligence.net

Reviews

[Robin Spano]

I don't normally read non-fiction, but when my mother (Dona Matthews) writes it, I sure do.

This book is great for teachers who want to understand "gifted" kids. (I think it was mandatory reading for gifted education teachers in New York City...I'm sure my mom will read this and tell me if I'm wrong.) It's also won all kinds of awards in its category.

It's a good read for parents who have exceptionally intelligent kids. It explores how to encourage curiosity and learning while keeping the kid human (and capable of healthy social interaction).

On Amazon, you can "Search Inside" to see if it's for you. It's written in an academic style (go figure--its target audience was educators and its writers both have PhDs). I like the style, and find it easy to understand, but they're currently working on a more conversationally-styled book, geared more to parents and even so-called "gifted" kids. So if you don't like the academic writing but the topic interests you, stay tuned.

What I REALLY like about the book is that it's not traditional or elitist. "Smart" kids aren't given kudos for being better or brighter; they're almost presented as learning-disabled--basically, like any other kids with special needs. I find the book has a very human approach, and if and when I have kids, what I've learned from it will be extremely useful.

[Altaix]

Not a very practical book for parents, perhaps more useful information for educators. Plenty of bullet points on what "might" be useful, peppered with few stories but really not much good advice that cannot be found from public sources.

[Amy Rhoda Brown]

I found this to be an easier read than Growing Up Gifted Developing the Potential of Children at Home and at School, which makes sense since it's written for a lay audience, whereas the other book is a textbook. Being Smart is a clear introduction to the major issues to do with giftedness: assessment, meeting the needs of gifted children, different education options, emotional and family concerns, and so on.

The most valuable idea in this book is the distinction between what the authors call the "mystery" and "mastery" models of giftedness. The mystery model is the idea that giftedness is just that, a special gift which is bestowed from who-knows-where which makes children ineffably special. The mastery model is more pragmatic, and defines giftedness simply as a mismatch between a gifted child's developmental needs and the schooling she is getting. The solution is pretty much built right in to the definition, and it aligns giftedness more neatly with existing concepts of special needs. I found the mastery model clear and helpful.

I have to admit these books about giftedness don't compel me all that much -- I got bored of both of them about halfway through. Part of it is that a lot of the parenting advice is stuff I already know from other parenting books I've read, and a lot of it is commonsensical: listen to the children, be sensitive to their interests, don't push them into things they're not interested in, give them enough downtime... But I'm glad I read both of them.

[Dawn]

This was recommended reading when we were exploring gifted testing and gifted education options for one of our daughters. While we have not had testing done at this point, I find this book very useful. I think the best bits of advice applies no matter if the child is gifted or not - be an involved parent, advocate for your child, explore educational options outside of the classroom, and let the child's interests shine!

[Mike]

This is a solid book for those that are new to the topic of giftedness. It covered a substantial amount of topics at a pretty high-level but seldom dove into the details in enough depth for me to say "I get it". I'm happy I read it but still feel the need to explore further in the same category.

[Melly]

Very scholarly.

[Dona Matthews]

perhaps one ought not to rate one's own books quite so highly as this, but i did want to add this to 'my books' and i do think it is quite a good book