Parents' Guide to IQ Testing and Gifted Education: All You Need to Know to Make the Right Decisions for Your Child »

Parents of brainy kids can understand what's behind IQ testing and selection for special school programs with this guide to gifted education. Written by an IQ specialist, this guide details the history of IQ tests and how they measure intelligence, and familiarizes parents with signs of giftedness they can look for in their own children. Acknowledging that some bright and gifted kids can reach their full potential in a regular classroom, a detailed analysis of how gifted programs work helps parents decide which gifted programs, if any, are right for their children. A section on twice-exceptional, or "2E" kids, shows parents how to recognize signs of learning disabilities in their otherwise bright or achieving kids and how to access school support for those particular problems.

Parents' Guide to IQ Testing and Gifted Education is the only book written specifically for parents who need to understand gifted testing and gifted programming so that they can make informed decisions for their children.

If your child is being tested for a gifted program, or if you're just trying to understand what gifted education is all about, you need information. In fact, when it comes to making educational placement decisions for your child you should know as much as teachers, principals, school psychologists, or anyone else.

This book gives those with little or no background in IQ testing and gifted education a close look at how the system of screening, testing, and programming really works.

This is where you'll find the direct answers and specific advice you need to make the right decisions for your child.

In this book you'll find...

Straight Forward Answers to the Questions Parents Ask Most ...

• Who gets tested and why?
• Are gifted programs right for my child?
• What are the potential drawbacks to a gifted placement?
• What are the signs of giftedness and why should I know?
• What do IQ tests measure?
• What do IQ scores mean?
• How do learning problems like ADHD affect IQ scores?
• Are IQ scores always accurate?
• What score is needed for placement in a gifted program?
• Do all districts use these same cut-off scores?
• Are there circumstances where a child should be tested before starting school?
• Why is my high-achieving child not being considered for the gifted program?
• If my child is tested again in a year or two, is the score likely to be the same?
• I don't think the score is accurate. Should I get a second opinion?
• How much will it cost to get a private assessment?
• Who is qualified to administer IQ tests and how do I find them?
• What kind of IQ test should I ask for?
• Is there a downside to having a high IQ?
• Why do some kids with high IQ's seem to have social problems?
• What does "optimal IQ" mean?
• What special programs are available for bright kids with learning problems?

Some bright or gifted kids can reach their full potential in a regular school program-but some need a different kind of learning experience to blossom.

Schools recognize this. So do parents, researchers, and specialists who advocate for this sometimes overlooked group.

If you think you have one of these kids, you need to get informed so that you can find the support your child needs.

Library Journal

With two books touted as containing "all" and "everything" parents of gifted children "need to know," some redundancy can be expected, and, indeed, these books both cover much the same ground. That ground-which includes signs of giftedness, intelligence testing, gifted education, and learning disabilities-has been covered in other works as well, among them Kate Distin's Gifted Children: A Guide for Parents and Professionals. Educational psychologist Palmer focuses on testing and education. Writing in a clear and simple (bordering on simplistic) style, he presents the content in an organized, even, and balanced manner. "Quick Points" and sidebars provide brief summaries of the information presented in the various sections and chapters, making Parents' Guide a useful, if abbreviated, ready reference for parents. Klein's work, based on her clinical practice with parents of gifted children, is judgmental, opinionated, and prescriptionist. It is also filled with sweeping generalizations and stereotypes. Complex questions about parenting gifted children are given definite answers. Parents of gifted children are labeled as "accessory," "in denial," or "good enough," while those of nongifted children are routinely vilified as "jealous"; educators are seen as lazy and obstructionist. It is not clear whether the examples and case studies that make up the bulk of this work are real or fictional, but many span 20 to 30 years and seem contrived and predictable. References to actors, the entertainment industry, and the wealthy and influential of Hollywood and Los Angeles abound. Neither book is an essential purchase, but Palmer's does provide a simple, easy overview of testing and education and is therefore recommended for public libraries needing additional material in this area. Klein's will appeal primarily to the audience on which it is based.-Suzanne M. Stauffer, SLIS, Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.