Description
Book Synopsis Much is made of the test scores, earning power, and innovative contributions of highly intelligent kids, but we rarely ask what it''s actually like to be gifted. In a culture obsessed with exceptionalism, sorting by intelligence has become an educational norm, leading thousands of American students to be ushered through (or noticeably left out of) advanced academic programs. Stereotypes and generalizations about these students--from the socially inept genius to the high-strung overachiever-have filled the gap in data about who they are apart from what they achieve. At a time of educational upheaval and rapidly declining youth mental health, former gifted kids--particularly women and nonbinary people also wrestling with questions of identity, inequality, and parenthood--are reckoning with the gifted label.
This work offers personal accounts from diverse voices, each one considered a gifted kid in their youth, and considers questions of identity, inequality, poverty, racis
Trade Review
A sobering perspective on the costs of being labeled gifted as a child, told in the form of highly engaging first-person stories. This book will make an important contribution to our thinking about gifted education."—Ellen Winner, professor emerita, Dept of Psychology & Neuroscience, Boston College "Here's a book by and about a group of people that I am extremely eager to read about. Who are they? Is there a thread to their stories? Should parents hope for a 'gifted' kid or be glad when their kid is so-called 'average'? True questions! This may be the last education/parenting topic that hasn't had its big book yet. Bring it on!"—Lenore Skenazy, Author, Free-Range Kids
"Finally, a book that brings multiple perspectives to one of the oldest, most elitist problems of American education: the 'gifted' tracking system. These essays will resonate with many."—Sara Zaske, author of Achtung Baby: An American Mom on the German Art of Raising Self-Reliant Children
Table of Contents
- Table of Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Preface
- Introduction: Desirable Difficulties
- Kaitlin Ugolik Phillips
- Part I: Go Big or Go Home
- On My Own Terms
- Aleenah Ansari
- Cycle of Transgressions
- Sheryl Carlson
- Scapegoat
- Brooke J. Knisley
- The Art of Stunting Trees
- Bunny McFadden
- Part II: Who Do You Think You Are?
- The Very Worst Girl in the Family
- Amy Challenger
- Honorary
- Amanda Lehr
- On the Shoulders of Giants
- Sophie Strosberg
- Fight Song
- Amy Lee Lillard
- Part III: Labels and Levels
- Skipping Third Grade and Part of My Childhood
- Candy Schulman
- Twice Exceptional
- Eve Z. Crevoshay
- Boxes
- Sondi Warner
- Too Young to Qualify
- Michele Weldon
- Double-Demoted
- Mandy Shunnarah
- Part IV: Breaking the Cycle
- Gatekept
- Laura Wheatman Hill
- The Language of Learning
- Jennifer Dines
- A Desk of My
- Melissa A. Watkins
- I Wanted My Child to Be a Child
- Aimee Seiff Christian
- About the Contributors
- Index
