Author(s): Jim Delisle

Mental Health | Depression & Stress

Gifted kids are so much more than test scores and grades. Still, it's sometimes difficult to see past all that achievement and potential to the child, adolescent, or teen who may be filled with anxiety, pressured to be perfect, lonely, alienated, confused, and unsure of what the future might bring.

This book offers proven, practical suggestions for encouraging social and emotional growth among gifted, talented, and creative children and youth. The authors explain what giftedness means, how gifted kids are identified, and how we might improve the identification process. Then they take a close-up look at gifted kids from the inside out (their self-image and self-esteem) and the outside in (challenges to their well-being from their family, school, peers, and society in general). They present ways to help gifted underachievers, perfectionists, and those who are bored in school, ways to advocate for gifted education, and ways to create a supportive environment for all gifted students. The final chapter explains how teachers can make it safe to be smart by creating the gifted-friendly classroom.

Complete with first-person stories, easy-to-use strategies, classroom-tested activities, and resources, this book is for anyone committed to helping gifted students gain insights, find solutions, and know they're not alone. 288 pp., B&W photos and illust