"Smutny has assembled a group of colleagues who bring very practical and
useful insights to this issue and suggest practices that will make the use of
this important curricular modification justifiable, manageable, and, most of
all, normal. Acceleration is not treated as a strategy of last resort but as a
logical and reasonable way to acknowledge and provide for the growth and
continuous progress of all children. By broadening the idea of acceleration as a
way to meet academic, emotional, and social needs, the book turns the concerns
about acceleration into strengths."
—Barbara Clark, Professor Emeritus, California State University, Los Angeles
"A well-written, extremely useful guide for parents and educators who wish to
provide gifted students an opportunity to learn at a pace and level appropriate
to their abilities. Offers valuable insight on the social and emotional aspects
of effective acceleration."
—Jan Davidson, President and Cofounder, Davidson Institute for Talent
Development
Coauthor, Genius Denied: How to Stop Wasting Our Brightest Young Minds
Raise the bar on accelerated learning and discover new possibilities that go
beyond minimum proficiency!
Written for K–5 teachers, this practical guide corrects misunderstandings in the
field of acceleration and provides the tools necessary to effectively determine
the most appropriate learning options for gifted students. Through real-life
stories, well-known authors in gifted education Joan Franklin Smutny, Sally Y.
Walker, and Elizabeth A. Meckstroth, dispel the common myths about acceleration
and describe what it is, what forms it takes, and what it can do for gifted
learners—intellectually, socially, and emotionally.
Presenting nuts-and-bolts guidance, this valuable resource provides:
- Numerous case studies, helpful checklists, and reproducible forms
- Prevailing theories and current research
- Social-emotional aspects of acceleration practices
- Instructional strategies for implementation in various school settings
- Learning opportunities for underserved groups, such as multicultural and
urban students
- Bibliographies and helpful Web sites
Offering a new perspective on how prevailing attitudes have deprived students
of opportunities to develop their talents, Acceleration
for Gifted Learners, K–5, directly reflects the 2004 Templeton Report in
validating the urgency to meet gifted students’ needs.