Coleman, L. J., & Cross, T. L. (2001). Being Gifted in School: an Introduction to Development, Guidance, and Teaching.

Coleman, L. J., & Cross, T. L. (2001). Being Gifted in School: An Introduction to Development, Guidance, and Teaching. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press. (491 pp., $55.00 hb, ISBN-10882-664-59-0).

Being Gifted in School: An Introduction to Development, Guidance, and Teaching is a thorough resource for a vast audience ranging from university professors to parents.

The purpose of this book is to educate readers regarding characteristics, affective development and curricular needs of the gifted. The authors address these issues in three sections. The first section contains three chapters, which explore definitions of giftedness. The authors discuss a range of issues from myths to multiple intelligences. The second section (i.e., Chapters 4 through 6) relates to the affective needs of gifted individuals through guidance and counseling. The final four chapters pertain to appropriate programs, curriculum, and instructional strategies for the gifted. In each of these sections, there is a wealth of information which is well organized, well written, enjoyable to read, and beneficial to readers ranging from the novice to the expert regarding giftedness.

The introductory chapters focus on the many facets of giftedness. The authors use a historical perspective to rethink definitions of giftedness. The following statements are reasons for rethinking traditional views about the gifted: (a) Individuals may perform tasks at a high level even when the person does not score well on tests indicating high ability; and (b) the range of talents recognized and rewarded in adults exceeds abilities recognized in children. The authors assert that by broadening our concept of giftedness, a broader range of gifts may be served. These views substantiate and support the use of broader definitions and means of identifying subpopulations, including students from low socioeconomic status and ethnically diverse populations, which are often overlooked for programs and services for the gifted.

Further, 35 pages contain information about standardized assessments, checklists, and product-based assessments. This extensive list might be especially beneficial to educators of gifted children who seek both traditional and nontraditional measures for assessing giftedness.

While drawing conclusions about appropriate definitions and assessment for giftedness, the authors ask an intriguing question: "Are the gifted handicapped" (p. 21)? They believe that the gifted are handicapped, because they deviate extremely from the mean on standardized measures of intelligence and achievement. Further, they assert that the gifted are handicapped when schools fail to meet their learning needs. This is an interesting contention --one that should leave any educator pondering.

Based upon conclusions drawn in the first three chapters, the authors provide a well organized and sequential discussion of psychological, social, and emotional needs of gifted children. This discussion may be helpful to parents since it offers information and suggestions regarding how families can deal with a child's giftedness. The authors suggest three "musts": (a) Parents must contend with the rapid development of their child; (b) parents must deal with how to tell the public about their problems and pride; and (c) parents must accept the lack of empirical information on the rearing of gifted children. The writers also emphasize the importance of caring for the affective needs of the gifted child as they pertain to the social setting of school. A touching qualitative piece uses the words of a gifted teenage girl to describe how classmates view her as a "know-it-all" and how the curriculum and school environment are unfulfilling for her. Consequently, models and strategies for guidance procedures are offered. The advantages and disadvantages of the Universal Developmental Model, the Behavioral-Cognitive Model, and Domain-Specific Developmental Model are described. This is advantageous to the reader as he or she can draw conclusions about the appropriateness and use of each model with any particular gifted child under consideration.

Another attribute of the text is the thorough description of ways to meet gifted learners' needs. Specifically, classroom teachers, teachers of gifted children, and administrators may benefit from information about curriculum, instructional strategies, and program service models examined in the text. While describing curriculum theory and practice, curriculum is defined as the "planned outcomes of a program encompassing a coherent organization of knowledge and skills" (p. 340). Based upon this definition, various curriculum models are recommended for use by teachers of gifted learners including VanTassel-Baska's Integrated Curriculum Model, Guilford's Structure of Intellect Model, Taylor's Talents Model, and Gardner's Multiple Intelligences Model. Various program options such as acceleration, enrichment, grouping, independent study, and inclusion are also described. In addition, the authors provide a list and description of exemplar schools (e.g., The Roeper School), which they recommend for the gifted learner.

A unique contribution of this book may be found in the final pages as teachers of gifted children are addressed and admonished. The text describes the important role that teachers of gifted children play as a liaison between the parents, classroom teachers and the child. This section of the book reveals the lack of research available regarding teacher characteristics, performance of gifted learners as it relates to teacher attributes, and the grave need for further studies.

As a follow-up to the emotional needs of gifted children, the authors devote a large portion of the book to defining creativity. It is within this section that some available resources have been overlooked. Although the authors examine the creative process through the Wallas Model and Paul Torrance's assessment, Frank Williams' CAP (i.e., Creativity Assessment Package), the SAGES (i.e., Screening Assessment for Gifted Elementary Students), the GIFT, and the SOI Creative Thinking Test are not addressed. Another deficiency concerns the exclusion of the Autonomous Learner Model by George Betts in the unit about self-directed learning. The authors do, however, emphasize the voluminous nature of materials used to enrich creative potential, and the omissions do not interfere with the overall quality of the book.

In general, the book has far more attributes than drawbacks. Based on its comprehensive nature, it is a viable text for university coursework that emphasizes general characteristics of giftedness, affective needs of gifted children, and models suitable for serving the needs of gifted learners. It is an effective resource for parents as the authors provide information in understandable terms. School counselors may also find the book useful since a large portion pertains to the counseling needs of gifted children. Finally, the content regarding curriculum modifications for gifted students is appropriate for classroom teachers and school administrators.

Reviewed by Julie Milligan, Ph.D., assistant professor for the Department of Educational Leadership, Curriculum, and Special Education at Arkansas State University.