When Gifted Kids Don't Have All the Answers: How to Meet Their Social and Emotional Needs »

James R. Delisle, Ph.D., has taught gifted children and those who work on their behalf for more than 30 years. He retired from Kent State University in 2008 after 25 years of service as a professor of special education. Throughout his career, James also worked as a part-time teacher of gifted middle school children. This weekly excursion into the real world of public school classrooms helped to cement both James’ professional credibility and his respect for the hectic lives of classroom teachers. Judy Galbraith, M.A., has a master’s degree in guidance and counseling of the gifted. She has worked with and taught gifted children and teens, their parents, and their teachers for over 20 years. In 1983, she started Free Spirit Publishing, which specializes in Self-Help for Kids® and Self-Help for Teens® books and other learning materials.

This book offers proven, practical suggestions for encouraging social and emotional growth among gifted, talented, and creative children and youth. The authors explain what giftedness means, how gifted kids are identified, and how we might improve the identification process. Then they take a close-up look at gifted kids from the inside out (their self-image and self-esteem) and the outside in (challenges to their well-being from their family, school, peers, and society in general).

Library Journal

From the authors of The Gifted Kids' Survival Guide: A Teen Handbook comes another excellent book on dealing with bright students. Most teachers and parents focus on the intellectual needs of gifted students without addressing their ability to handle social situations, academic pressure, teasing, and fear of failure. Though gifted students often appear to be well integrated, a closer look reveals that they frequently experience feelings of isolation, boredom, and even depression. After a significant section devoted to identifying the gifted and the need for specialized education programs for this population, this work delves into the emotional dimensions of giftedness and how to understand gifted kids from the "inside out" through first-person stories, classroom-tested activities, guided discussions, and up-to-date resources. The authors also provide useful strategies for helping gifted underachievers and perfectionists. Although this book is written mainly for classroom teachers and educators of the gifted, anyone interested in helping gifted students gain insights into their social and emotional health will find this volume helpful. Recommended for all public and academic libraries.-Charity Peak, Regis Univ. Lib., Colorado Springs Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.