Being Gifted in School: An Introduction to Development, Guidance, and Teaching

As a text, or a professional resource, this is the one book on gifted education that you should own. From definitions and models of giftedness, through identification and at-risk populations, to teaching and beyond, Being Gifted in School contains everything the education professional, whether teacher or administrator or counselor, needs to know to be a valuable asset in the world of gifted children. Though it's full of advanced discussion on gifted children and gifted education, Being Gifted in School offers much for the "newbie" as well. Don't be intimidated! Beyond the classroom, counseling and guidance issues and ideas are offered; along with administrative solutions, program prototypes and more. If you teach or administrate gifted children, you should have this book, and READ IT.

Being Gifted in School by Tracy L. Cross and Larry J. Coleman. Prufrock Press, Waco, TX, 2000. This is a very comprehensive book about research, theory and practices in gifted education. While it is a general text, it is probably not for newcomers to the field. The book is very rich in research and resources. Chapters cover theories of giftedness, identification, the gifted child's families, counseling issues, curriculum, instructional theory, teaching methods, etc. The authors give not just the research about each issue or practice they present, but the assumptions underlying them. The chapters on the family, the lives of gifted individuals, creativity and theories of giftedness are especially thought provoking. This book would be most appropriate for educators who have some experience in the field and have done some reading of literature and research in gifted education.