Alvino, J. (1985) Parents' Guide to Raising a Gifted Child. Boston: Little, Brown and Co. (649.155/A475P)

Covers 'Do you have a gifted child?', 'Taking charge of your gifted child's education', 'Schoolwork and the gifted child's education', 'Schoolwork and the gifted child', 'Critical thinking and research skills', 'The visual and performing arts', 'Counselling the gifted child', 'Gifted girls: a neglected minority', 'Troubleshooting', 'Effective parent advocacy for gifted children, 'Toys, games, computers, and television', and 'Reading for gifted children'.

 

Alvino, J. & the Editors of Gifted Children Monthly (1989) Parents' Guide to Raising a Gifted Toddler. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. (649.155/A475pt)

Subtitled 'Recognizing and developing the potential of your child from birth to five years', it includes chapters on 'How to tell if your child is gifted', 'The role of "significant others" - it's a family affair', 'As emotional growth goes, so does intellectual growth', 'Healthy minds in healthy bodies: Giving talents a chance to grow', 'The superbaby scourge: Walking the tightrope between pushing and encouraging', 'Put the brakes on perfectionism before it breaks your child', "Girls and boys: The yin and yang of giftedness', 'The enriched environment - "inside" and "outside"', and on reading, maths, science, and 'Challenging family activities for preschool and school-age children'.

 

Anderson, R.W. & Tollefson, N. (1991) Do parents of gifted students emphasize sex role orientations for their sons and daughters? Roeper Review, 13 (3), 154-157.

"This study found that parents of boys and girls participating in gifted programs did not make different types of social comparisons for their sons and daughters. ... Findings of the present study parallel results of an earlier study by Cornell ... who found that parents of gifted children placed greater emphasis on their children's social skills and maturity than they did on their children's scholastic accomplishments." (p.156)

 

Bailey, S. (1994) The terrorist trap: Why parent/teacher partnerships are (usually) the best way forward. TalentEd, 46, 7-11.

"There is a basic tension between the aspirations of parents, who want the best education for their child, and teachers, who want the best for all children in their care. The challenge for parents is to pursue their understandable priority without doing so at the expense of someone else's child. Schooling need not be a 'zero sum game' (where to 'win' requires someone else to 'lose') and partnerships are a way of increasing the number of 'winners'." (p.8)

 

Bailey, S. (1985) Community resources. TalentEd, 8, 9-12.

Provides guidelines for setting up a directory of community resource persons, based upon the experiences of an Armidale group.

 

Carandang, L.A. (1992) Family dynamics of the gifted. Gifted Education International, 8 (2), 117-120.

"The writer discusses problems experienced by some parents of exceptional children and outlines some common situations that affect the whole family situation. The author cites a series of case studies indicating the need for parental counselling in the areas of expectations, discipline, favoritism, family values, balanced development. A framework for parental guidance is proposed which deals with four dimensions: the overall development of the child, particular developmental needs, communication and understanding of the child's self-concept." (p.117)

 

Cornell, D.G. (1989) Child adjustment and parent use of the term 'gifted'. Gifted Child Quarterly, 33 (2), 59-64.

"Mothers and fathers of 482 children enrolled in a university-based summer enrichment program were assessed on measures of self-concept, anxiety, and peer status. Although over 90% of parents indicated that they think of their child as gifted, approximately 25-30% of the parents refrained from using the term. Use of the term was not associated with IQ or number of years in a gifted program, but children whose parents used the term were consistently less well adjusted on both self-report and peer-report measures. ...Methodological cautions about the interpretation of these findings are noted." (p. 59)

 

Dangel, H.L. & Walker, J.J. (1991) An assessment of the needs of parents of gifted students for parent education programs. Roeper Review, 14 (1), 40-41.

"Nearly half of the parents indicated they wanted training in using a microcomputer with their gifted child. Most other topics selected by the parents dealt with general parenting concerns, i.e., promoting motivation, responsibility, and social growth in their gifted child. Parents also indicated their preferences for how the educational programs could best be delivered and incentives for encouraging them to attend." (p.40)

 

Del Bello, M.S. (1988) Fostering independent workers: A parent's view. The Gifted Child Today, 11 (3), 45-46.

"Interestingly, despite varied routes, most arrived at similar conclusions: the importance of communicating and holding high expectations, a can-do attitude, a balance of structure and freedom, being a sounding board, taking a questioning rather than a dictating stance, helping with logistics, and liberally using praise." (p.46)

 

Dirks, J., Bushkuhl, J. & Marzano, P. (1983) Parent's reactions to finding out that their children have average or above average IQ scores. Journal of School Psychology, 21 (1), 23-30.

"Parents of Average IQ children were less accurate in their memory of test results, and they and their children experienced fewer positive consequences from IQ testing than Above Average children and their parents. Children with Above Average IQ experienced extremely low frequencies of sibling rivalry, conceit or pressure, and they and their parents increased pride and/or self-confidence as a result of the IQ testing." (p.23)

 

Dunn, R., Dunn, K. & Treffinger, D. (1992) Bringing Out the Giftedness in Your Child. New York: John Wiley & Sons. (305.231/D923b)

Subtitled 'Nurturing every child's unique strengths, talents, and potential', this book covers such aspects of parenting as 'Finding your child's unique strengths', 'Promoting problem solving through creativity and teamwork at home', 'Practical activities to stimulate giftedness', 'Identifying your child's learning style' and 'Teaching children to guide their own learning'.

 

Eales, C. (1983) Raising Your Talented Child. Sydney: Angus & Robertson. (649.155/E11R)

"This book is specifically for parents of talented children, but all parents will find it helpful. Parents need to be aware of their own attitudes and how they transmit those attitudes to their children." (p.xi) Deals with such questions as 'Do I have a talented child?', 'How can I make sure my talented child is allowed to develop at a comfortable pace?', 'How can I ensure that my talented child learns how to solve problems?', 'How does the family join with the school in meeting the needs of a talented child?' and 'Why is my talented child not doing well?'

 

Fehrle, C.C., Duffy, L. & Schulz, J. (1982) The Most-Asked Questions About Gifted Children. Columbia: Extension Division - University of Missouri-Columbia Program of Continuing Professional Education. (371.95/F296M)

"This booklet answers the questions parents ask about their gifted children. ... We have designed this booklet both as a guide for parents and as a tool for educators to use with parents of gifted children. In these pages, parents and educators will find practical answers to such questions as:

• Should children know they have been identified as being gifted?

• Can I review the school's informational folder on my child?

• Should I treat my gifted child differently?

The answers to these questions draw upon the experience of parents and educators and the advice of the experts. Many of the answers offer specific suggestions for school programs, home projects and classroom activities." (p.1)

 

Gelbrich, J.A. & Hare, E.K. (1989) The effects of single parenthood on school achievement in a gifted population. Gifted Child Quarterly, 33 (3), 115-117.

"Research indicates that students from single-parent families demonstrate lower levels of school achievement than their peers living in two-parent homes. ... A study of children who recently attended the University of Oregon's Summer Enrichment Program for Talented and Gifted students suggests that the school achievement of gifted students is negatively affected if they come from a single-parent household." (p.115)

 

Gonzales, J. (Ed.) (1988) The Colorado Handbook for Parents of Gifted Children. Denver: Colorado Assoc. for Gifted and Talented. (155.455/C719)

Covers definitions, characteristics, learning styles, underachievement, emotional needs, advocacy, and sources of help.

 

Hall, J.M. (1994) Schooling concerns of gifted children. Gifted, 84, 7-10.

This article "documents the parental concerns, noted in a research project conducted in 1993 and secondly, it takes this knowledge and acts upon it ...." (p.7) Eleven suggestions are offered: e.g., 'Be quietly confident', 'Always praise the effective and supportive teacher', 'Keep informed' and 'Seek practical help'.

 

Hall, E.G. & Skinner, N. (1980) Somewhere to Turn: Strategies for Parents of the Gifted and Talented. New York: Teachers College Press. (371.95/H175s)

A short booklet (60pp.) that covers aspects of identification, advocacy, motivation, Bloom's taxonomy and teaching ideas.

 

Humphreys, B. (1987) A handful of 'knows' for parent advocates. The Gifted Child Today, 10 (6), 8-11.

"Parents who want to be advocates for gifted education need some preparation before they wend their way through the educational system. Five knows may assist in this trek.

• Know yourself and where you stand,

• Know what you are facing,

• Know the law and how to make it work for you,

• Know who's who in the social system, and

• Know when, where, and how to contact people in education." (p.8)

 

Johnson, N.L. (1994) The Faces of Gifted: A Resource for Educators and Parents. Melbourne: Hawker Brownlow Education. (CR371.95/J68f)

Includes chapters on 'Who is gifted?', 'Gifted preschoolers', 'Your gifted daughter', 'Birth order', 'Discovering the magic: Your child's creativity', 'Gifted children at risk' and 16 others.

 

Johnson, A., Workman, S. & Gage, J. (1987) Parent power. The Gifted Child Today, 10 (6), 21-23.

Describes the objectives and content of a parent education program associated with the Frontiers of the Mind summer program, "designed to serve teachers and children from under-represented cultural, ethnic, socioeconomic, and rural populations in Texas." (p.21)

 

Kadwell, S. et al. (1984) Children with Gifts and Talents: Questions and Answers: An Information Booklet for Parents. Adelaide: Education Department of South Australia. (371.95/C536)

Covers 'the meaning of giftedness', 'understanding children with gifts or talents', 'the community and home environment', 'the school environment', 'the provision of services and resources'.

 

Karnes, M.B. (1987) PT/Partners: Parents and Teachers Nurturing the Gifted. Circle Pines: American Guidance Service. (371.95/P975)

"Offers information and suggestions on how parents and teachers of gifted children can function as partners and make the best use of each other's experience. The book explores such topics as identifying gifted children, providing a school and home environment that nurtures and challenges bright learners, fostering creativity, asking and answering questions in thought-provoking ways, teaching problem-solving skills, and becoming advocates for the right of gifted children to an appropriate education." (p.vii)

 

Karnes, F.A. & Marquardt, R.G. (1991) Gifted Children and the Law: Parents' Stories of Hope. Dayton: Ohio Psychology Press. (344.7307/G458) [See under Policy / Ideology / Advocacy]

 

Kaufman, F.A. & Sexton, D. (1983) Some implications for home-school linkages. Roeper Review, 6 (1), 49-51.

Suggests that "professionals should actively plan opportunities for parent involvement, especially in the area of identification" (p.50), but also in the areas of behaviour management and general enrichment.

 

Keirouz, K.S. (1990) Concerns of parents of gifted children: A research review. Gifted Child Quarterly, 34 (2), 56-63.

"Six key areas are highlighted: family roles and adaptations, sibling relationships, parental self-concept, neighborhood and community issues, educational issues, and development of the child. Suggestions are given for the use of these areas as a framework for future educational and counselling efforts." (p.56)

 

Kitano, M.K. & LeVine, E.S. (1989) For parents: Recognizing and changing inappropriate services through an interactional approach. Roeper Review, 12 (2), 108-111.

"When a gifted child appears to have difficulty adapting to school, typically either the school or the child receives the blame. The source of the problem situation often resides in the interaction of school and child factors. One approach to alleviating such problems stems from a systems or interactional model. This article provides parents with specific strategies ... for working effectively with schools to ensure the best possible services for a gifted child. Major steps include recognizing the need for intervention, developing parent-school partnerships for change, and monitoring progress." (p.108)

 

Knight, B.A. & Bailey, S. (Eds) (1997) Parents as Lifelong Teachers of the Gifted. Melbourne: Hawker Brownlow Education. (On order)

Includes chapters by Braggett, 'Exploring giftedness from the parents' perspective', Gibson, 'Identification issues', Vialle, 'Giftedness from a Multiple Intelligences perspective', Bailey, 'Acceleration as an option for talented students', Mares, 'Personality characteristics and achievement: How parents can help', Konza, 'Understanding and managing your gifted child', and Megarrity, 'Supporting your able learner at school', along with eight others.

 

Kurcinka, M.S. (1992) Raising Your Spirited Child. New York: Harper Perennial. (649.1/K96r)

Subtitled 'A guide for parents whose child is more • intense • sensitive • perceptive • persistent • energetic', this book includes sections on 'Understanding spirit' (e.g., 'A different point of view: Building on the strengths'), 'Working with spirit' (e.g., 'Tantrums: Spotting the triggers'), 'Living with spirit' (e.g., 'Bedtime and night waking'), 'Socializing with spirit' (e.g., 'Getting along with other kids') and 'Enjoying spirit'. Mary Kurcinka is herself the parent of a spirited child.

 

Linnemeyer, S.A. (1991) Minds in the Making: A community resource program. Roeper Review, 14 (1), 35-39. [See under Underachievers - General]

 

Mares, L. (1995) Gifted children and young people within the family context. Gifted, 89, 10-13.

"Having a gifted child in the family is exasperating, fascinating, and from time to time dangerous for one's own self concept. Having a gifted child in the family is very far indeed from being the ego trip other parents suspect us of." (p.13)

 

Meckstroth, E. (1998) Gifted parenting. Understanding Our Gifted, 10 (3), 3-6.

'Over the decades, it's been reinforced to me that if parents don't interpret their children's needs and abilities to school personnel, they are asking teachers to play with half a deck. ... Parents do best to express appreciation for every increment of focus and adjustment a teacher gives to accommodate a child's unique abilities and interests.' (p.4) ...
'I often talk with veteran parents, ones I worked with when their children were young, and I ask them what they learned that I can pass on to other parents. The recurring theme in their responses is, "Trust yourself; you know your child best." One mother told me, "I'm tired of making my family's life miserable to make everybody else happy."' (p.5)

 

Merlin, D.S. (1994) A few good people. Gifted Child Today, 17 (2), 14-15, 18-19, 42.

"I am the mother of a gifted daughter. Navigating the school system has been both rewarding and discouraging. I have encountered a 'few good people' who have provided guidance and support. My advice to other parents is to search for these people relentlessly, recognize them when found, and make the most of their support and knowledge." (p.14) Illustrates this advice with examples from her daughter's education between age five and grade eight.

 

Painter, F. (1984) Living with a Gifted Child. London: Souvenir Press. (371.95/P148L)

Discusses types of giftedness, identification, the intelligence test, the pre-school years, choosing schools, parents' rights, and adolescence, and uses interesting case studies in a chapter on 'some gifted children'.

 

Phillips, D.A. (1987) Socialization of perceived academic competence among highly competent children. Child Development, 58 (5), 1308-1320.

"Preliminary support was found for a model in which children's perceptions of competence are influenced more by their parents' appraisals than by objective evidence of their achievements." (p.1308) "A significant minority of the third graders studied here had already acquired illusory perceptions of incompetence which, in turn, corresponded to differential parent beliefs about their children's abilities." (p.1319)

 

Reid, P. (1989) Communication between the school and the home of the gifted child. Australian Journal of Remedial Education, 21 (1), 23-24.

Uses a case study of a girl to describe 'the painful consequences of what can happen when communication breaks down between parents, teacher and child.' (p.23) Argues for collaborative decision making involving parents, principal, class teacher and consultants with expertise in the gifted/talented area.

 

Riggs, G.G. (1984) Parent power: Wanted for organization. Gifted Child Quarterly, 28 (3), 111-114.

Uses the experiences of the Gifted Child Society in New Jersey "as an example for other groups and individual parents to evaluate our progress, to learn from our successes, and to avoid our mistakes." (p.111)

 

Robinson, N. (1995) Parents and professionals as partners: A psychologist's view. TalentEd, 49, 5-8.

Discusses 'Different perspectives on children's behaviour', 'Different perspectives on children's development', 'What you can do at home' and 'What you can do at school'. "Parents need to know that whatever their choices, none will meet all the needs of the children. ... To be frank, most children don't have perfect parents either." (p.8)

 

Sawyer, R.N. (1984) Advice for parents: Open doors, show love, relax. Psychology Today, 18 (6), 36.

"The single most important piece of advice I have for parents of gifted children applies to all parents. Let your child guide you. ... In the early years, specific subject and level of mastery are not important, but the kind of family involvement that demonstrates learning is fun is crucial."

 

Saunders, J. & Espeland, P. (1986) Bringing Out the Best. Free Spirit, Minneapolis. (371.95/S257B)

Subtitled 'a resource guide for parents of young gifted children'. Includes 'how to tell if your child is gifted', 'how to avoid parent burnout', 'activities to do with your child' and 'coping with schools'.

 

Schatz, E. & Schuster, N. (1996) Teens With Talent: Developing the Potential of the Bright, Brighter and Brightest. Boulder: Open Space Communications. (CR371.956/S312t)

Deals with 'Indicators of talent', 'School is not enough', 'Promise for school change', 'Going beyond: Extra-programming options', 'Cumulative effects: The whole is greater than the sum of the parts' and 'A fit for all academically talented teens'.

 

Silverman, L.K. & Leviton, L.P. (1991) Advice to parents in search of the perfect program. The Gifted Child Today, 14 (6), 31-34.

Includes a detailed set of guidelines for choosing a full-time gifted program, covering standards of admission, philosophy, program design, teachers, instructional methods, curriculum, and practical considerations for private schools. "It may be helpful to visit schools with another parent, rate the schools independently, compare notes and then give weight to the factors that are most important to you and your child." (p.34)

 

Smutny, J.F. (1999) Parenting young gifted children: How to discover and develop their talents at home. Parenting for High Potential, March, 8-11.

Suggests ways for parents to develop their child's creative potential and love of learning, eg:

If a child is looking at a painting (or picture in a book), 'ask her to describe what has just happened in the painting or what will happen after it'; 'put a piece of paper next to the picture and draw an extension from where the painting finishes'. (p.10)

To follow reading 'children could discuss, draw, or write about characters in two books. Suppose the characters from these two books got together. What might happen? How might the stories in each book change? How might the characters change?' (p.10)

 

Solow, R.E. (1995) Parents' reasoning about the social and emotional development of their intellectually gifted children. Roeper Review, 18 (2), 142-146.

"In a year-long qualitative study of ten families, four levels of thinking emerged among the parents interviewed. ... Characterizing the lowest level is a complete absence of a framework for parental thinking about giftedness. The highest level evinces a comprehensive, integrated context for parents' understanding of both the intellectual and social-emotional aspects of their children's giftedness." (p.142)

 

Strom, R., Strom, S., Strom, P. & Collinsworth, P. (1994) Parent competence in families with gifted children. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 18 (1), 39-54.

"Parents need feedback about the result of their efforts. The gifted adolescents confirmed the parental impression that teaching is their main strength. They believe parents deserve more credit than parents feel they do for overall success, managing difficulties, coping with frustrations, and meeting information needs. When gifted children and their parents differed, the children assigned a more favorable view in over 70% of the cases." (p.52)

 

Takacs, C.A. (1986) Enjoy Your Gifted Child. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press. (649.155/T136e)

"Throughout this book, the work of leading figures in human development will be explored and brought to bear on those aspects of giftedness which can bring both concern and pleasure to child-rearing experiences. Interviews with parents and children will be used as illustrative examples." (pp.ix-x) Contains chapters on building the self-concept, responding to problem behaviours, creativity, equal opportunity at home, supporting special interests and talents, and working productively with schools, among others.

 

Van Tassel-Baska, J.L. & Olszewski-Kubilius, P. (Eds) (1989) Patterns of Influence on Gifted Learners: The Home, the Self, and the School. New York: Teachers College Press. (371.95/P316)

The fifteen contributions include 'Early development of gifted children', 'Profiles of precocity: a three-year study of talented adolescents', 'The influence of family values and climate on the development of talent', 'The role of the family in the success of disadvantaged gifted learners', 'A developmental study of adjustment among gifted adolescents', 'Personality dimensions of gifted adolescents', 'Curriculum development and evaluation in school programs for gifted students', 'Guiding gifted students in their academic planning', 'Career counseling for the gifted' and 'An essay on education for the gifted'.

 

Walker, S.Y. (1991) The Survival Guide for Parents of Gifted Kids. Minneapolis: Free Spirit. (649.155/W184s)

Subtitled 'How to understand, live with, and stick up for your gifted child', this covers such topics as 'The eight great gripes of parents with gifted kids', 'The question of labels', 'Kids who fall between the cracks', 'Coping with young lawyers', 'The importance of risk-taking', 'How not to raise a nerd', 'Dealing with sensitivity', 'When to worry', 'How to be heard: Begin with the teacher', and '15 questions parents ask - and 141/2 answers', among many others.

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This page updated: 23 January 2006 Webmaker: Howard Smith. hsmith4@une.edu.au