Best Books About Gifted Children

Although gifted students may have the potential to achieve far beyond their peers, special gifted education is important for them to make the most of that potential. That’s why it is so important that parents understand what giftedness is, how to handle the special challenges the gifted child presents, as well as what resources are available to help gifted children reach their full potential.

Gifted kids are often special needs children who qualify for and require special services from the school. It is crucial to work within your school system to get the appropriate assessment testing, achievement documentation, interviews, or whatever else is required in order to have your child identified as gifted. These books will help parents serve their gifted children best. 

The Survival Guide for Parents of Gifted Kids: How to Understand, Live With, and Stick Up for Your Gifted Child

This book covers all the basics of what it means to be gifted, what the pros and cons are to giftedness, and how can parents advocate for these special needs children to get the gifted education they need and deserver. This book has been revised and updated since its original publication in 1991 with new information about current research and legislation, new examples, new resources - including websites. It covers how kids are identified as gifted, and why some kids fall through the cracks during the identification process. You'll get tips on how to raise gifted children, prevent perfectionism, handle their special kind of energy and inquisitiveness.

When Gifted Kids Don’t Have All the Answers

While most teachers and parents focus on the intellectual needs of gifted and talented students, they often have trouble in social situations, put undue academic pressure on themselves, and endure teasing by their classmates. Gifted children often fear failure, and though they may put on a brave face, gifted kids often feel isolated, bored, or depressed.

Through first-person stories, classroom-tested activities, guided discussions, and up-to-date resources, the emotional lives of gifted children are presented. In addition, strategies to help underachieving gifted and talented students, as well as perfectionists, are given. The book is designed for teachers of gifted children, but anyone can gain valuable insights from it. This book also presents the identification process for qualifying gifted children for gifted education.

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In Title IX, the US government defines gifted and talented students as follows:

GIFTED AND TALENTED- The term gifted and talented', when used with respect to students, children, or youth, means students, children, or youth who give evidence of high achievement capability in areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in specific academic fields, and who need services or activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop those capabilities.