Rogers Re-forming Gifted Ed Review
Plain English and Sound Research on the Complexities of the Gifted
Karen Rogers, Ph.D., defines how to serve gifted children in her book Re-forming Gifted education: Matching the program to the Child [Scottsdale, AZ: Great Potential Press (2001)]. Research is the backbone for this book. She writes clear text, interesting vignettes and informative charts. It is her intent for parents and educators to get the best education for the individual gifted child and to navigate the sometimes-tricky road to getting it. Rogers' book explains educational plans, types of giftedness, subject based acceleration, grade-based acceleration, grouping, school and outside provisions for the gifted, and a plan for a child who is gifted.
Inventory for Finding Potential Can Help Parents Begin Identification Process
Parents and educators will find tools to begin the journey to determine if a child is gifted and/or to explore what types of programs are offered for gifted children. When identifying a child, it is important to collect information that is both measurable and observable. In the earlier chapters, Rogers asks the reader to use The Parent Inventory for Finding Potential (PIP), which is included in her index. This inventory helps collect information about the personality characteristics and behaviors that may predict success in learning. After completing the inventory, the reader can find the intellectual, academic, creative, social and/or artistic strengths that a child may have. These Researched-Based Behaviors or Five Major Domain Profiles are used by the United States Office of Education are further defined in a chart.
Interest Inventory Can Help Parents Lobby for Testing
The Rogers' Interest Inventory (RII), focuses on the kinds of programs and enrichment activities in which the child may want to participate. These two inventories can give parents and educators enough data to get a child tested by a licensed psychologist in a school system. The table, Objective and Subjective Measures of Gifts and Talents for the five Major Domains, offers possible tests for gifted and talented measures. Some of the tests endorsed are as follows: the Woodcock Johnson for intellectual domain, Woodcock Johnson Achievement Tests for specific academic domain, Torrance Test of Creative Thinking for the creativity domain, Social Maturity Scales for the psychosocial leadership domain and Horn Art Aptitude Test for the visual and performing arts domain.
Clarification of Gifted Versus Talented
In addition, Rogers offers clarification of gifted versus talented labeling. First, Rogers refers to Gagne’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent. Gagne’ explains that giftedness is an innate extraordinary ability or potential in a domain. Talents are an extraordinary performance in a field of human endeavor. Rogers further explores the definition and places an additional chart showing characteristics and behaviors of gifts and talents for the five areas.
Rogers' Book Is a Must Read for Parents of Gifted Children
From gifted organizations listing it as a resource book on their websites to reviewers writing that it is a must read for parents, Rogers' book Re-forming Gifted Education: Matching the program to the Child is one of the foundation books for parents and educators who are learning about gifted education. Her user-friendly charts and tables, citation of research, educational plans and explanations of programs available make it an informational and an interesting read. Although it is a mainly a resource for parents of gifted children, educators can find relevant information as well as rethink old research.
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