Exceptionally Gifted Children

By Miraca U.M. Gross

Book Overview

Providing practical guidance throughout on how such children can be identified and assisted, this new edition of a classic text will be essential reading for all teachers and parents of gifted and talented children.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0415314917
• ISBN13: 9780415314916
• Release Date: September 2003
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 318 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.7" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Not for everyone - but wonderful for those who need it

I read the reviews about this book and bought a used copy (old edition) expecting a book that would change my life. Now my only regret is that I didn't spring for the current edition right up front. First, this book isn't about gifted children - it is about exceptionally and profoundly gifted children. There is a difference. If your child falls into this special group, this is one of the few books you will find that discusses your child - with all the good and the challenges that accompany these extreme gifts. The book has very BORING sections if you are reading for the sake of reading. Be prepared. I didn't skip anything and I don't regret it - but some sections were hard to wade through. In the end, however, some of the charts and tables gave me the insight that I was hoping to get. Also, each chapter has a high level summary - so if you do have trouble wading through a particular chapter, skip to the end of the chapter and figure out what you are supposed to be learning. Decide whether it is worth going back to deal with the details. I started reading the book with the goal of convincing myself that my son didn't belong in this group. The first few chapters with their amazing stories of each child's most wonderful accomplishment left me thinking that I was right. However, as I read further along and got into the meat of the book, I recognized my son in its pages. Ms. Gross holds out hope in her numbers for allowing a very special child to grow up happy and well adjusted. It isn't politically correct to allow a child like this to go at their own pace, but it is healthy - and her data shows it. Quantitative evidence (albeit on a limited sample) to show that these children are not normal and we should celebrate that rather than trying to force the issue. I'm much more prepared for the future with my child than I was before reading this book. I would recommend highly for parents and teachers who are coping with EG and PG kids.

Read This Book If You Have a Gifted Child

Miraca Gross has brought us an amazing gift: she continued her original 10-year longitudinal study of exceptionally gifted children, and brought us up-to-date another ten years later. Following the pain and successes of these unusual young people over the course of 20 years gives the reader tremendous vistas from which to gain perspective of the way society treats the highly gifted...and what that does to them.If you already think your child is gifted, but she or he isn't "fitting in" you just might have an exceptionally gifted child. Since the intellectual level of these children is high, even compared to other gifted kids, parents don't generally have any true means of comparison. They often have never met any other kids like theirs. Instead of guessing, read this book. You will know--quickly--if you see your kid there. This is NOT a book about "perfect," high-flying, academic achievers. To the contrary: it is a painful examination of how enforced academic underachievement has hurt these kids, and how appropriate intellectual challenge (when they could get it) helped them feel comfortable in their skins.Read this book if you think your child is gifted. Read this book if you "just knew" there was something special about your child when they were little, but they've never fit in school. Read this book if you work with or care for the gifted.

Highly recommended for anyone interested in gifted children

This book is a fascinating study of a small group of exceptionally gifted (IQ>160) children in New South Wales, Australia. Gross follows these children over several years, and includes extensive details about their interests, family background, progress through school, and social and emotional as well as academic status. She shows that when these children are not allowed to learn at an appropriate pace and level it places them at serious risk. It is interesting even for those who do not live with such children.

The best resource to educate people about these kids.

It wasn't until I read this book that I felt I was reading a description of my son in the gifted literature. It made clear to me why he was having so many problems in school and gave me the courage to work for an appropriate education, instead of relying on "experts". I use this book over and over again to educate teachers, school board members, and policymakers about what these kids are like and why the current educational system does not meet their needs. I have given several copies to critical decision-makers. It has made a difference!