Diverse populations of gifted children: Meeting their needs in the regular classroom and beyond.

Cline, S., & Schwartz, D. (1999). Diverse populations of gifted children: Meeting their needs in the regular classroom and beyond. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill (207 pp., $ paper, ISBN 0-13-399908-4).

This book was written to provide classroom teachers with guidance in identifying and planning curricula for special populations of gifted children. The authors use as their framework Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences to help set the stage for recognizing the number of different ways in which students can demonstrate their gifts and for discussing the particular needs of children who may not demonstrate their gifts in "typical" ways. The book is divided into four sections: 1) Background on intelligence theory, public policy on special education, and the philosophy of inclusion; 2) twice exceptional children (gifted children with physical or learning disabilities or sensory impairments; 3) special populations of gifted children (culturally diverse, exceptionally gifted children, young gifted children, and gifted females; and 4) issues and concerns for gifted education in the 21st century.

Between them, the authors have 40 years of experience with exceptional children, combining expertise in gifted education and special education and in classroom and university teaching. Their aim is to reconceptualize gifted education by creating inclusive classrooms where diverse profiles of abilities and ways of learning are valued and supported. The authors do not subscribe to a narrow interpretation of inclusion; they offer many suggestions for additional educational provisions. Rather, their point is that the classroom teacher must feel a sense of ownership in identifying and planning for the diverse gifted children in his/her classroom.

The authors' objective in writing the book is an important one. Children's exceptional abilities often are not recognized because of educational foci on deficits and the traditional 3 Rs curriculum. It often is difficult for educators to accept that children may be exceptional in more than one way; face particular challenges in having their abilities recognized because of their cultural heritage, age and/or gender; or need special consideration because they are exceptionally gifted. Textbooks generally used in courses on gifted education attempt to raise awareness of these issues. Cline and Schwartz's book constitutes a valuable supplement by offering more comprehensive coverage of characteristics of diverse populations of gifted children, identification strategies, and teaching suggestions. Pre-service teachers, classroom teachers, school administrators, teachers of gifted learners, and parents would benefit from reading this book. The book does assume knowledge of exceptional children, special education, and assessment. Readers without this background would find an introductory text on special education and/or educational psychology helpful as a companion to this book. The book also assumes familiarity with Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. A brief overview of the theory is given, as it relates to curricular areas. This is a helpful way to illustrate the theory, given the objectives of the book; however, some readers may feel the need to explore Gardner's perspective in more depth.

The book is clearly written and logically organized. Each chapter begins with framing questions that a classroom teacher might ask, followed by an advance organizer on how the chapter addresses these questions. Bulleted lists, tables, figures, and featured case studies are used to advantage in ensuring coverage, offering examples and suggested resources, and making this a user-friendly book. The book is organized like a textbook and it would be useful for this purpose. It is one of those texts known as a "keeper" - a book that remains on a teacher's desk or shelf long after a course has ended.

Overall, the material in the book is accurate and current. An exception was noted in the sample psychoeducational report included in the chapter on gifted children with learning disabilities. This shows a Full Scale IQ score derived from verbal and performance scores that are significantly different. This is not a justifiable way of reporting IQ and could mislead readers. When there is a difference of the magnitude noted in the sample report, only the Verbal and Performance IQs should be reported (Sattler, 1992). Another exception is in the chapter on gifted children from diverse backgrounds where the focus is on minority and disadvantaged populations. The terms "environmental deficits," "culturally deprived," "culturally impoverished," and "culturally handicapped" are used. While the focus of the chapter is on honoring cultural differences (both between and within cultures), the introductory terminology runs the risk of setting up a flawed and disrespectful interpretive framework. Use of the term "Eskimo" rather than the current preferred "Inuit" compounds the possibility of this chapter not serving its intended purpose.

There are useful suggestions for resources (e.g., websites, special programs, additional readings) throughout the book, although these are somewhat inconsistent from chapter to chapter. It would have been helpful to see an annotated bibliography at the end of each chapter, including teaching suggestions and resources for the strategies listed in the chapter, resources for students, and complementary reading suggestions. For example, it is suggested that rubrics be established so that students understand criteria for quality and success. It would be helpful to either see a rubric or be given suggestions for where sample rubrics can be found. Similarly, there are videos, books, and articles that show Gardner's theory in action. Descriptions of these would be helpful to those new to the idea of a classroom based on multiple intelligences.

This book's strengths outweigh its perceived weak points. It is an important contribution to the field, pulling together educationally relevant material on the numerous diverse groups of gifted children. It is a well-researched, practical guide to recognizing, honoring, and supporting diversity in gifted children.

REFERENCE

Sattler, J. M. (1992). Assessment of children (3rd edition). San Diego: Jerome M. Sattler, Publisher, Inc.

Reviewed by Marion Porath, a Professor in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education at The University of British Columbia and Contributing Editor of the Roeper Review. Her research and teaching foci are on different forms of giftedness.