Being Smart about Gifted Education: A Guidebook for Educators and Parents (2nd edition) - Softcover

Matthews, Dona J.; Foster, Joanne

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0910707952 ISBN 13: 9780910707954

Publisher: SCB Distributors, 2009

Synopsis

Written for both parents and educators who work with children of advanced abilities, Drs. Matthews and Foster present practical strategies to identify and nurture exceptionally high ability in children. They promote the mastery (rather than the mystery) model of gifted education and challenge several common practices and assumptions. They offer ways to determine each child's level of learning and say that it is simply appropriate to provide the educational experiences that every child needs at a particular time. Features include: Mastery vs. Mystery models, How giftedness develops, Relevant brain research, Use and misuse of assessment, Programming options, Social and behavioral concerns, Teacher development processes, Parenting strategies, and more.

About this title

About the Author:

Dona Matthews holds an M.Ed. in Counseling Psychology and a Ph.D. in Special Education (Gifted), both from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto. She has been involved in teaching, writing, counseling, consulting, and conducting research on gifted-related issues since 1985. Dr. Matthews teaches child and adolescent development at the University of Toronto. She was founding director of the Center for Gifted Studies and Education, Hunter College, City University of New York, and has published and presented extensively on gifted education and development. She has worked in many capacities to support high-level development in diverse populations, including doing academic research and publishing; consulting to parent, education, and government organizations; teaching at the University of Toronto, Ryerson Polytechnic University, the University of British Columbia, and Hunter College; initiating and directing an extracurricular program for academically gifted children at the University of Toronto Schools; and conducting a busy private practice doing psychoeducational assessment and counseling.

Joanne Foster holds a Doctoral degree in Human Development and Applied Psychology, and a Master's degree in Special Education and Adaptive Instruction, both from the University of Toronto. She has worked in the field of gifted education for 30 years, focusing on ways to encourage and support high-ability learners. She writes extensively about intelligence, creativity, productivity, and procrastination. Dr. Foster taught at Educational Psychology at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto for twelve years, and continues to provide leadership across Canada and beyond. She speaks to parent groups and educators about the complexities and implications of high-level development, facilitates community networking in gifted education, and writes extensively on gifted-related issues. Dr. Foster also writes the column "Fostering Kids' Success" at The Creativity Post.

Review:

A highly readable and accessible volume about the development of children with gifts and talents. Both practical and theoretical, it is informed by the most recent research, and it is filled with useful information and insights. It will be valued by teachers, parents, and counselors. --Frances Degen Horowitz, Ph.D., University Professor; President Emerita, The City University of New York Graduate Center

Being Smart About Gifted Education - A Guidebook for Educators and Parents is an updated version of the 2004 book, Being Smart About Gifted Children. The authors, Dona Matthews and Joanne Foster, have rewritten the book to include the most recent research on brain development, recent trends in the education system, and new ways of focusing efforts to meet the needs of gifted learners... This is a thoughtful and instructive handbook which will be quite useful to teachers and administrators, as well as parents of gifted children. --Lorel Shea, BellaOnline's Gifted Education Editor

By presenting exciting new work on mindsets, as well as recent research findings on expertise and cognitive neuroscience, these authors show the importance of habits of mind in cognitive development. This book will prompt re-examination of many long-held beliefs! --Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., Lewis & Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology, Stanford University

Rich with examples, this book highlights the importance of an optimal match between challenging and engaging school and home experiences and opportunities to develop gifts and talents! A practical, thoughtful contribution by two leading experts! --Sally M. Reis, Ph.D., Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor Teaching Fellow, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Connecticut

Talent is transformed into high performance through a willingness to try, invest time in guided practice, and persist when tasks are difficult. These authors describe ways to do just that. --Dr. Frank C. Worrell, University of California-Berkeley, Discussant, Processes and Issues in Gifted Education: American Education Research Association Conference, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Talent is transformed into high performance through a willingness to try, invest time in guided practice, and persist when tasks are difficult. These authors describe ways to do just that. --Dr. Frank C. Worrell, University of California-Berkeley, Discussant, Processes and Issues in Gifted Education: American Education Research Association Conference, Montréal, Quebec, Canada

A highly readable and accessible volume about the development of children with gifts and talents. Both practical and theoretical, it is informed by the most recent research, and it is filled with useful information and insights. It will be valued by teachers, parents, and counselors. --Frances Degen Horowitz, Ph.D., University Professor; President Emerita, The City University of New York Graduate Center

About this edition

• Publisher: SCB Distributors
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0910707952
• ISBN 13: 9780910707954
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 452