Re-Forming Gifted Education: Matching the Program to the Child

Karen B. Rogers, Re-forming Gifted Education. Matching the Program to the Child. Great Potential Press, Scottsdale, AZ, www.giftedbooks.com This book is a step-by-step guide to evaluating the needs and characteristics of a gifted child and understanding the educational options that might be appropriate for him or her based on an individual profile. The book has surveys and instruments that parents (or educators) can use to determine children's talent potential, learning style preferences, and interests and attitudes. The book contains lists of educational options including those implemented in school (e.g. cluster grouping, whole grade skipping, subject acceleration, etc.) and outside-of-school options such as talent search summer programs. There are compendiums of contests and competitions and summer programs, although these are spotty and not comprehensive. Rogers includes the research findings, much of which comes from her own work, regarding the cognitive and social effects of each type of educational option. The book contains many anecdotal examples of different "types" of gifted children to illustrate both the use of the profiling system and the matching to educational options and programs. While this book is meant for parents, the level of detail and analysis provided within the chapters indicates that parents and educators with some knowledge about gifted education and/or experience with gifted children would benefit most from this book.

This book clearly spells out and categorizes ways for schools, teachers, and parents to meet the needs of gifted children, including which students will benefit from particular instructional delivery methods and how each student need can best be addressed. Dr. Rogers uses examples of real-life individual students as she outlines the recommended steps for writing individual education plans (IEPs) for gifted students. The key question this book asks is "What Kind of Education Do You Want for Your Gifted Child?" This research-based book discusses acceleration of students, grouping within the school setting, and program provisions both in and outside of school. The supplementary materials appendix contains a wealth of information with interest and attitude inventories in the four core academic areas. You won't want to miss the section on Bibliotherapy which offers a excellent list of books to help students overcome personal issues and fears. My favorite section addresses "When They Say..., What Will You Say?" The recommended responses when confronted with "elitist" and "ability grouping" claims made by anti-grouping advocates and educators are thoroughly outlined, including the research studies which support these answers. This outstanding book includes recommended efforts that should be placed on academic progress, academic remediation, psychological adjustment, and socialization for gifted students. This book is a "must have" for all parents and educators of the gifted!

This book is a comprehensive resource for parents written by one of the best researchers in the gifted education field. Rogers gives parents detailed information on understanding giftedness and many important topics including subject-based acceleration, grade-based acceleration, program provisions, out-of-school provisions and developing the child's educational plan. The book also contains checklists parents can use to identify gifted children's learning potential and strengths, and their interests in reading/language, mathematics, science, social studies, and the arts. Each chapter has a clear discussion based on current research. In addition, informative tables and relevant accounts of particular gifted children highlight the topics being discussed. We highly recommend Rogers' book for both parents and teachers who are seeking a comprehensive resource for selecting the best possible education for their gifted children or students.

Finally, a book that is user-friendly for teachers and parents is now available. Dr. Rogers has approached the subject of gifted education from the perspective of what the parent and teacher need to know about services for gifted students, what the students are like and distinguishes giftedness from talent in a clear, well-organized manner.I found the Supplementary Materials particularly helpful in providing understandable, readily available inventories for all interested parties. I have recently used the "Interest and Attitudes about Arts Learning" in a session designed to integrate the arts into interdisciplinary, thematic planning and teaching. The teacher audience took copies of the survey with them and were anxious to secure their own copy of Dr. Rogers' book. As a university instructor, I find the book one that I plan to use as a graduate text for both "Characteristics of Gifted" and "Methods and Materials for Teaching Gifted." Portions are applicable for both courses, when combined with additional supplemental books to provide a really sound knowledge base forcombining pedagogy and practice.I applaud Dr. Rogers for her creativity and grounded logic in providing a much needed approach to the world of practice for the gifted and talented. What an asset to the current body of knowledge relative to gifted education. We have needed another practical, well-organized refreshing approach for a long time. Thank you, Karen.

Re-Forming Gifted Education: Matching the Program To The Child by Karen Rogers (Professor in the Curriculum and Instruction Department, University of St. Thomas, Minnesota) is a scholarly analysis of a century's worth of research in the educational speciality of educating the gifted and talented, and aptly describes a wide variety of different types of gifted children and choice options for their schooling, as well as determining a child's strengths, interests and learning styles; matching a child to an appropriate curriculum; crafting a comprehensive educational plan; parent/teacher collaboration; and how to locate thematically appropriate websites, special programs and schools, talent searches, contents, and other resources for gifted children. A thoroughly extensive guide for parents and educators that exhaustively explores countless alternatives to best encourage natural talent, skill, and creativity Re-Forming Gifted Education is highly recommended reading and a welcome addition to professional and student teacher reading lists and education department reference collections.