Gifted Children's Resource Guide

Testing and Counseling

Midwest Academic Talent Search
Above-Level Testing for Gifted Students
Center for Talent Development
Northwestern University
(847) 491-3782
Get a more accurate understanding of your child's academic potential by having him/her take tests designed for older students. Although traditional grade-level achievement tests have their place, research shows that "above-level" testing provides a more accurate assessment of a bright child's potential in reading, math and science. The Midwest Academic Talent Search (MATS) at Northwestern's Center for Talent Development provides this testing opportunity for students in grades 3 to 9 plus a wealth of assessment and counseling information.

J. Abram Doane, M.A., J.D.
Northwestern Learning Consultants
Offices in Northfield and Naperville
(847) 679-4101
gifted@LDdoc.com

Evaluations, consultations, and school/workplace advocacy services. Specializing in giftedness and learning disabilities. Offers the Stanford-Binet Form L-M.

Elizabeth Mika
1662 Vineyard Dr.
Gurnee, IL 60031
(847) 543-9550

Testing, evaluation and counseling.

Recommended Books for Gifted Children and Adults

• The Gifted Kids Survival Guide (for ages 10 and under) and The Gifted Kids Survival Guide II (for ages 11-18), by James Delisle and Judy Galbraith.
• Bringing Out the Best: A Resource Guide for Parents of Young Gifted Children, by Jacqueline Saunders and Pamela Espeland.
• The Survival Guide for Parents of Gifted Children: How to Understand, Live With, and Stick Up for Your Gifted Child, by Sally Yahnke Walker. [I’ve read this one - it is very good, an excellent resource for ideas, advice, and information. - BS]
• Guiding the Gifted Child: A Practical Source for Parents and Teachers, by James T Webb, Elizabeth A Meckstroth, and Stephanie S Tolan.
• Teaching Gifted Kids in the Regular Classroom: Strategies and Techniques Every Teacher Can Use to Meet the Academic Needs of the Gifted and Talented, by Susan Winebrenner.

• Eby, Judith W. & Smutny, Joan F. A Thoughtful Overview of Gifted Education. New York: Longman, 1990. A critical and creative overview of gifted education that provides present and prospective educators with a framework for understanding the practical applications of contemporary research in the field.
• Jones, Eric D. , Southern, W. Thomas. The Academic Acceleration of Gifted Children. New York: Teachers College Press, 1991. Designed to assist parents, students and school personnel in assessing, implementing, and evaluating acceleration decisions in schools. Offers potential strategies for reaching decisions about whom to accelerate, when, and how.
• Smutny, Joan F., and Blocksom, Rita. Education of the Gifted: Programs and Perspectives. Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation, 1990. Provides an introduction and overall perspective on topics related to sound program development for the gifted. Includes extensive references for further study as well as sample teaching activities and curricular materials.
• Supplee, Patricia L. Reaching the Gifted Underachiever. New York: Teachers College Press, 1990. A practical guide describing the underachieving program design--philosophy, restructured environment, and parent involvement.