My blogging friend Cindy West has published a book at Prufrock Press. It’s called Homeschooling Gifted and Advanced Learners. It’s fantastic! And I have two copies to giveaway.
(I’ll tell you a secret. Homeschooling Gifted and Advanced Learners is $6 cheaper at Amazon
The standard characteristics of gifted children were outlined in a 1971 report to Congress. Cindy lists these same qualities (along with others) in her book. Here they are.
Gifted children demonstrate achievement and/or potential ability in these areas:
- general intellectual ability
- specific academic aptitude
- creative or productive thinking
- leadership ability
- visual or performing arts
- psychomotor ability
Do you see any of those traits in your children? If so, they may be advanced learners. Of course, homeschooling is a great option for gifted children because we moms can tailor their instruction and let them rocket forward in their areas of giftedness.
After reading Cindy’s book, though, I realize that this manual is actually beneficial for any homeschool mom because her advice about homeschooling applies to any situation.
Cindy is intensely practical, and although she discusses educational philosophies, most of the book delves into specifically how to teach children. I love how she sprinkled specific examples from her own children throughout the book. She includes book lists, activity ideas, and lots of hints.
Homeschooling Gifted and Advanced Learners covers all the academic areas, telling how to prod a student who does not excel in that area as well as how to challenge a student who does.
Cindy’s book answers these questions:
- What about children who tend to dawdle?
- What about socialization?
- Should I buy a curriculum or design my own?
- How can I keep my gifted child from becoming prideful about his or her talents?
- What are ways to organize homeschool record keeping?
- What do I need to do in preparation for college?
Giveaway Rules
Cindy sent me three copies of her book. So I have two to giveaway (because I have to keep one for myself). If you would like a copy of Homeschooling Gifted and Advanced Learners, just leave a comment here on this post. I’ll choose the two winners on Tuesday, November 8, 2011.
Comment Suggestion (not required):
Tell me how you think your child may be gifted. For example, I think that my Sprite is gifted in creative thinking. You can look at the list of characteristics of a gifted child or the officially recognized traits of giftedness to stimulate your thinking.
Tweet this post at Twitter for an additional entry. Please leave a 2nd comment with the permalink to the tweet.
I apologize to my international readers, but this contest is limited to residents of the continental USA. You must be 18 to enter. Please leave a valid email address. You will have 48 hours after contact to claim your prize with a mailing address.
I’d love to check this out. I was in the gifted program through school, and I see many of those traits in my son. He’s almost 5 and is reading on a very advanced level..probably fourth or fifth grade I’d imagine. And the things he comes up with…he floors me sometimes! He’s a handful but I love the challenge and creativity!!
Thank you for sharing this book. It sounds like a very practical book for homeschooling. I have two sons who are very bright, and keeping them busy and interested is always a challenge. I think this book would benefit our family. Thank you for offering this give away!
I’d love to win this. My son is advanced in math. At age 4, he discovered that multiplication was repeated addition. Thanks for the giveaway.
My son can create anything with Legos. I mean, anything. His attention to detail is amazing. My daughter loves to create with art. Every little scrap of paper in our house is fair game for a doodle or picture. I’m glad she’s moved on from the walls, though. LOL
I’d love to read this book. I think all kids have a special something they are especially good at, and I would love to read more about how to draw that out and develop it. Thanks.
Our daughter is creatively gifted as she’s always making up stories, coming up with new games, and loves to draw and write. She does better in unstructured environments where she can follow her passions. She’s just finished reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at 5 years old and begs for more! I go back and forth from “Am I doing enough to challenge her?” to “Does she have enough free time to play?” She asks more questions than I can keep up with. Wondering whether to test her and when, if at all. I would love some guidance! Thanks for the giveaway.
I think all children are gifted in different ways – I have 4 ds – one is a very critical thinker black/white – one is very sensitive and aware of others feelings and very visual- one is a wiz kid in computer programming – and the other is very talented in computer drawing
I would love to win this book. My daughter is gifted in the fine arts department. She loves singing, the dramatic arts, and drawing. We participate in art classes and two different drama groups to help broaden her talents. Thanks for the chance to win the book, it looks great.
Blessings
Diane
I would love to win a copy of this book. I have always thought all three of my children were gifted or above average, but I have never had them tested. I don’t really want a label. I just bend and sway and tailor their education to fit their needs.
I think my son is gifted because of the way that so many topics that I don’t even think about interest him greatly, and he really thinks outside the box. Would love to win!
I can give you a US address. 🙂 I have children gifted in different ways, in general and in specific subjects. Of my oldest my son is 4 years ahead in math and my daughter read her first college level books when she was 10.
I would love to read a copy. I am not sure that my daughter is technically “gifted,” but at 5 she is reading on a 3rd/4th grade level and it is a challenge to keep up with her!
My son is very curious and a self-motivated learner. This is our first year to homeschool – this book sounds like a great resource.
Thanks!
Ohhh… I’d love to win this! I’ve been thinking I need to get a book about gifted education. Monkey’s been a little sponge since forever – he knew all his letters and their sounds at 2! Right now he’s not so much interested in the reading (though it’s moving forward), but he’s waaay into the math stuff, and working about 1 1/2 grade levels ahead right now, but if he keeps sponging it up, it’ll soon be more. Looks like Dragon (15 months) is going to be this way too, though his strengths shine brightly in different ways, near as I can tell right now.
Here’s my tweet! http://twitter.com/#!/Ritsumei/status/132853228508418049
The practical elements of this book appeal to me. I have been in a “crisis of curriculum” this year, wanting to integrate more subjects across disciplines in a way that matches their individual talents and interests. It feels like an up-Everest endeavor. I have an artistic perfectionist who needs a boost with his timeliness and a linguistic dynamo who would love more hands on experimentation, but I just need a direction and sage advice from someone who has been there.
Enter me, PLEASE! I definitely have an advanced learner. Even though I was in “gifted” classes in school, she still blows me away with some of the things she learns entirely on her own. But we struggle with her perfectionism, as well as sensitivities that I’ve read are often associated with gifted learners.
My middle son is a gifted creative thinker. He is always thinking up connections between things. He also has a great sense of humor and loves to laugh. His IQ puts him at 99.9% I would LOVE to win this book because I’m thinking of taking the plunge into homeschooling next year when he starts middle school. Thanks so much for letting us know about this book and for sharing all the info on this site!
Looks like a great book. I have a son with dyslexia and even though his spelling is not where it’s supposed to be by our standards he is very talented in other areas. He is a very hands on sort of guy and my little one is an early reader and loves to do everything. I’ll get this book either way.
I have two gifted children. My youngest is 3 and is in kindergarten, but 1st grade reading and math. My eldest is 11 and in sixth grade (skipped kindergarten), 8th grade reading (tested into 12th for comprehension), 7th grade math. The youngest is homeschooled full time (I run a private school in my home) and eldest is homeschooled during the summer.
Oh boy could I use a book like this!
Oh how I need this book. My DS5 started Kindergarten in August and we have since decided that homeschooling is the only option for his education. We will start after the holiday break. He is gifted; specifically with his general intellect. We had him tested back in June and were hoping that the school system would be able to adequately challenge him….no such luck. I’m so excited to begin this homeschooling journey!! 🙂
Our darling girl is globally gifted. We chose this phrase because it best identifies her unique ability to intuitively know most any subject she is presented with. She learns so rapidly, that we believe she is academically gifted and intuitively gifted.
My daughter was tested for giftedness in public school in 1st grade and was told her IQ was very high. She loves to read, loves taking things apart to build something else completely different. We started homeschooling last year at the end of 2nd grade. This year (3rd grade) is our first full year. I really fear I am not challenging her enough. We have switched 2 different math curriculums (she thinks math is her weakness although she is above her peers her age). She reads higher levels than her 6th grade sister which causes some additional issues when trying to determine if I teach them both the same language arts or am I pushing her too high. (plus if she does better than her sister there are other issues that come up – her older sister is very bright but low self esteem she scored above average on an IQ test when we were testing her for a reading disability.) I am new to this homeschooling and read anything I can get my hands on that may help me. Thank you for bring this book to our attention.
I found your blog through another “10 Days of” post. Both of my boys are gifted, one especially in math, the other more generally learns quickly & loves science. As a kid I loved diagramming sentences. I wonder if my v/s guy would too?
I would love to read this! Two of my three children are I consider “gifted,” which is one of the leading factors of why I chose to homeschool!