Flack, J. (1993) TalentEd: Strategies for Developing the Talent in Every Learner. Englewood: Teacher Ideas Press. 249pp. US$24.00

It is not surprising that creativity is one of Jerry Flack's areas of special interest for he is a creatively talented person himself. Like all good teachers, he is also adept at spotting potential in others' ideas and then turning this into a thought-provoking, practical activity for students. His earlier books of enrichment material, Inventing, Inventions, and Inventors and Mystery and Detection are excellent (and are in our university library's enrichment resource collection). Jerry's flow of interesting and challenging ideas continues in this new publication.

The 26 chapters cover topics literally from A to Z, including 'B Is for Biography', 'G Is for Garbage', 'I Is for Invention' (making links with Creative Problem Solving - CPS), 'O Is for Olympics', 'P Is for Pigs, Parody, and Puns' and 'W Is for Writing'. Some of these chapters are short, only a few pages, while others pursue their theme in considerable detail. All offer practical suggestions for student activities, with examples and other resources for a teacher to select from.

It is stated in the Preface that "There are no age restrictions on these ideas and strategies. TalentEd teachers use these ideas equally well with five-year-old learners and twenty-five-year-old learners." (p.xi) They are also applicable across a range of subject areas and, as the title suggests, in mixed ability classes. Skills to be developed include goal setting, time management, library research, creative and critical thinking, and problem solving, as well as the more traditional 'basics'.

If the first word in the title looks a little familiar that is because Jerry Flack has been reading our Australian TalentEd since about 1985 and sought my permission to use the term in his own way here. I readily agreed, knowing the quality of Jerry's previous publications.

While there is, as you would expect, an American emphasis in the examples used, the book is far from parochial in content. Anyone wanting to play 'spot the Aussie' will find references to Graeme Base, Shane Gould and the Great Barrier Reef (among others?). There are also more British 'characters' than there were players for England in the recent cricket series.

I have chosen not to quote examples of the book's activities for the variety is such that no single example is 'typical' of the ideas on offer. I recommend you acquire a copy for your own school or personal library as I am sure you will keep dipping into it over the years to come, and it is very good value for the price.

Try your local bookshop first, but for direct orders, the address of Teacher Ideas Press is:

PO Box 6633, Englewood, Colorado 80155-6633, USA

Stan Bailey, UNE

TalentEd No. 44, Summer 1993

©TalentEd is located at the School of Education, University of New England, Armidale, Australia.

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