Genius Denied
by Jan and Bob Davidson (Simon & Schuster, $23)
With so much emphasis on who does and doesn't pass standardized tests these days, a tiny but significant group is missing from much of the discussions. Kids who are phenomenally gifted are largely wasting their time in school, argue Jan and Bob Davidson.
Some school districts don't have any gifted programs. Those that do are generally for children with IQ scores of at least 115 to 130, meaning that they cover "students who read just a bit above grade level and twelve-year-olds who devour Tolstoy by flashlight under the covers at night." While "mildly gifted" students are often challenged by these programs, highly gifted ones are so bored that the generally decide that "the best option [is] to pretend [they're] not smart."
After analyzing the schools that do and don't do well by highly gifted students, suggestions and resources are provided to help educators, mentors, parents, children, and policy makers. Some of these are replicated on the book's companion website, www.geniusdenied.com.
