Guiding the Gifted Child: A Practical Source for Parents and Teachers

This book has become a classic in the fields of gifted education and gifted psychology. For years, parents have referred to it as “the Dr. Spock book for parents of gifted children.” Gifted children have unique social and emotional concerns, and this book provides the guidance that parents need to support them. Each chapter features problems or issues common to gifted children and their families. Topics include communication, discipline, friends, sibling rivalry, and educational needs.

James T. Webb, Ph.D. was recognized nationally as one of the most influential psychologists on gifted education. Dr. Webb wrote 16 books, over 75 professional publications, three DVDs, and many research papers for psychology conventions or for conferences regarding gifted and talented children. Six of his books were on gifted children and adults, and four won “Best Book“ awards. In 1981, Dr. Webb established SENG, a national nonprofit organization that provides information, training, conferences, and workshops, and served as Chair of SENG's Professional Advisory Committee. In 2011, he was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Arizona Association for Gifted children, the Community Service Award from the National Association for Gifted Children, and the Upton Sinclair Award by EducationNews.org. Most recently, Dr. Webb was President of Great Potential Press, Inc. Dr. Webb received the 2017 Palmarium Award at the University of Denver's Gifted Education conference, “Transformational Leadership: Inspirations and Issues in Gifted Education”, where Dr. Webb was honored for exemplifying “a future in which giftedness will be understood, embraced and systematically nurtured throughout the nation and the world."

Since 1979, Elizabeth "Betty" Meckstroth, M.Ed., M.S.W., has worked in supportive cooperation with organizations for gifted children and their families, co-authoring Guiding the Gifted Child and Teaching Young Gifted Children in the Regular Classroom, assessing children, speaking, consulting, counseling, facilitating parent discussion groups, and publishing numerous book chapters and journal articles.

Stephanie S. Tolan, M.A., playwright and Newbery Honor winning author of 24 critically acclaimed novels for children and young adults, is co-author of Guiding the Gifted Child. Since its publication in 1982, she has served as a consultant to parents and educators about the social, emotional, spiritual, and academic needs of the gifted, with a particular focus on the highly to profoundly gifted. Her articles about gifted children and adults have appeared in numerous journals, including Roeper Review (for which she is a contributing editor), Gifted Child Monthly, Journal of Advanced Development, Understanding Our Gifted, TIP Network News, ERIC Flyer Files, G/C/T, and The Communicator. A popular and dynamic speaker, Tolan has spoken at regional, national, and international conferences, and her article "Is It a Cheetah?" (based on a 1992 keynote speech at the Hollingworth Conference for the Highly Gifted) has been translated into more than 20 languages and reprinted by individuals, publications, and organizations for the gifted all over the world, many of whom have adopted the cheetah as a logo.