Gifted Education Books for Parents

Want to learn more about parenting the gifted? Read some of the following books (in alphabetical order):

Being Smart about Gifted Children: A Guidebook for Parents and Educators, by Dona J. Matthews and Joanne F. Foster

The authors describe ways to develop children's natural abilities.

Bright, Talented, & Black: A Guide for Families of African American Gifted Learners

What it means to be young, Black, and gifted, and how families can help gifted children to understand their differences, navigate complex peer relationships, find their rightful place in community, and make best use of the school system.

Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students, by Christine Fonseca

Helps parents to not only understand why gifted children are so extreme in their behavior, but also learn specific strategies to teach gifted children how to live with their intensity.

Helping Gifted Children Soar: A Practical Guide for Parents and Teachers, by Carol Ann Strip

This user friendly guidebook educates parents and teachers about important gifted issues, an ideal resource for the beginner to seasoned veteran in educating gifted children.

Homeschooling Gifted and Advanced Learners, by Cindy West

Focuses on special considerations that often go along with gifted children such as providing challenging curriculum, offering outlets for artistic and creative talents, accelerating students into college courses early, and finding them true intellectual peers.

On the Social and Emotional Lives of Gifted Children, 4th ed., by Tracy Cross

In a thoughtful, conversational style, the author offers an in-depth look at the complex social and emotional issues faced by gifted children.

Parenting Gifted Children: The Authoritative Guide From the National Association for Gifted Children, Editors: Jennifer L. Jolly, Donald J. Treffinger, Tracy F. Inman, and Joan Franklin Smutny
This comprehensive guide covers topics such as working with high achievers and young gifted children, acceleration, advocating for talented students, serving as role models and mentors for gifted kids, homeschooling, underachievement, twice-exceptional students, and post-secondary opportunities.

Parenting Gifted Kids: Tips for Raising Happy and Successful Gifted Children, by James R. Delisle

Provides a humorous, engaging, and encouraging look at raising gifted children today with practical, down-to-earth approaches. Goes beyond the basics, focusing on attitude, reflection, and subtle changes, rather than specific, cookie-cutter recipes for action.

Parent's Guide to IQ Testing and Gifted Education, by David Palmer

Great introduction to IQ testing and gifted children. Answers your questions, from “Why test?” to “What do the scores mean?” and “What about scores of twice exceptional children?”

Parent's Guide to Raising a Gifted Child, by James Alvino

A practical, informative, and authoritative primer for raising and educating gifted children from preschool to adolescence. Beginning with sensible strategies to determine whether, and in which area, your child is gifted, this book takes parents through selecting an appropriate day-care center, a school, and a home reference library.

Raising a Gifted Child: A Parenting Success Handbook, by Carol Fertig

This book offers a large menu of strategies, resources, organizations, tips, and suggestions for parents to find optimal learning opportunities for their kids, covering the gamut of talent areas, including academics, the arts, technology, creativity, music, and thinking skills.

They Say My Kid's Gifted: Now What? by F. Richard Olenchak

Offers background and advice from the identification process, to choosing a teacher, to gifted programs and curriculum.

Your Gifted Child: How to Recognize and Develop theSpecial Talents in Your Child from Birth to Age Seven, by Joan Smutney, Kathleen Veekner and Stephen Veekner

How to recognize giftedness, from the obvious signs such as advanced language, math and motor skills, to the less obvious ones such as sense of humor, good memory and active imagination. The book also offers a variety of age-appropriate techniques to stimulate your child's curiosity.