Barbara Klein, Ed.D.

From Gifted Education Communicator Summer 2007: Book Review

"Parenting may be the most difficult task we assume, and parenting gifted youngsters has a few more added complications. Barbara Klein has a writing style that invites the reader to sit down and absorb all that the pages hold. She writes as a professional and writes as a parent. The psychologist-educator melds with the parent of highly gifted youngsters to give us all a balanced and worthwhile venture into this topic.

Understanding giftedness and how to measure it is a wonderful beginning to her study. Dr. Klein’s liberal use of family stories helps the reader to see the practical applications of the author’s comments.

She addresses the question we all ask ourselves as parents. Can I do this job well enough to be sure that my child will be successful and happy? The book abounds with practical advice for those who have a multitude of questions about proper parenting. Especially helpful to this reviewer were the frequent questions Dr. Klein asks us to ask ourselves.

A large section of the book deals with finding the right educational setting for the gifted learner. This should be required reading for teachers and administrators. The advice given and the questions to ask would be valuable for any school setting to consider. This part of the book is given importance, as it should, since the impact of the appropriate school environment on the student is so great.

My favorite part of Dr. Klein’s book is the section on the personalities of gifted young people. They will not fit the cookie cutter view of gifted youngsters, and for that we are pleased. Dr. Klein discusses the various behaviors and personalities that we see in our children.

These pages are filled with practical and reader-friendly ideas and suggestions, generous with advice for living with those gifted kids with unique skills or intensities beyond the norm. Especially helpful is the last section on “Family Issues and Ten Rules for Raising Productive and Well Adjusted Gifted Kids.”

This book should also be required reading in teacher training classes and provided for parents of newly identified gifted students. Teachers can learn so much from Raising Gifted Kids to facilitate interaction with parents. Indeed, many teachers have gifted young people in their own homes as well as in their classrooms. I wish I had had this book long ago, raising two gifted daughters, now grown. I think I’ll send them both a copy now."

--Judith J. Roseberry is immediate Past President of the California Association for the Gifted and its current Treasurer, as well as a member of the Board of Directors of the newly established California Foundation for Gifted Education.