Genius Denied: How to Stop Wasting Our Brightest Young Minds [Paperback]

I read and review a lot of books on education. Jan and Bob Davidson's Genius Denied fills a crucial gap in the literature. While almost every other failing of our educational system has been written about at great length, this book addresses a problem that receives very little ink -- the way that it lets gifted children down.

That we do in fact treat the educational needs of very bright children with neglect can hardly be doubted after reading the many case histories that the Davidsons have assembled. Gifted kids -- who, the authors note come from all races and all levels of family income -- are regularly told just to keep quiet and go along with the slow-paced lesson plans that are usually geared to the least able students in class. The result is utter boredom and a waste of human potential. It's like insisting that a race car built to go 200 mph should have to putter along at 25 mph.

While many school districts purport to have "gifted programs," the Davidsons observe that they are usually just for show and actually accomplish very little. "Pull out" programs that provide gifted children with an hour or so of time out of the regular classroom so they can read, draw, or do other activities are woefully inadequate for the needs of these children, but usually that is all they get.

The Davidsons are equally effective in identifying the root of the problem. We have an educational culture that is dominated by egalitarians who think it is a bad thing for some children to race on past the others. Never mind that the result is misery for the brilliant youngsters and a squandering of great human potential. The educational egalitarians are hostile to special treatment for the gifted and can be counted on to raise one excuse after another to justify their refusal to even try giving the gifted children what they need.

Genius Denied offers concerned parents and policy makers a lot of advice on how they can go about rectifying this tragic educational neglect.

This is a deeply felt book that deserves a wide reading.

I strongly recommend reading this book if you are the parent/educator of a gifted child. This book is a real eye opener into school life of American gifted children - even those that seem to be doing just fine. My son is highly gifted and absolutely loves school. He had a wonderful teacher in third grade and likes his 4th grade teacher even better. He scores 100 on most tests and generally seems happy. So - what's the problem? He's not learning anything! Until I read this book, it never even occurred to me to ask my son if he has learned anything new this year. He does homework daily, has tests and quizzes in all subjects - of course he's learning - right? When I asked him yesterday if he thought he was actually learning - he said no - nothing new. On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being new work that is challenging) he rated last year and this year a 4 (I think he would have rated it lower, but he could tell I was heading for a slight freak-out).

Genius Denied points out that many bright children are just coasting in our school system. They already know the work and "learning" the material comes effortlessly. Even if they aren't having emotional difficulty with being forced to repeatedly learn things they already know, it can become a serious problem later on when they actually come across material they don't know. Many won't even know how to study.

I think the book gives great information about the different types of "gifted" classes offered by schools, especially in the elementary grades. My son was in a math pullout last year and will probably be in it again this year. The author questions how a 1-hour a week enrichment class is supposed to provide the learning enrichment these children need. Heck - I never even questioned that as I thought it was so awesome our school even offered enrichment programs.

I am not criticizing the American school system - I am sure the teachers and administration want the best for all the kids in the US and the system is working hard to make sure every child learns the basics. However, this book clearly shows how the school system fails gifted children. Incredible quantities of money are spent on special education programs, IEPs, etc., to help children with learning problems reach their maximum potential. But few states have any sort of funding or mandated programs to help bright children reach theirs. This is a huge loss to our country at a time we really need all the knowledge and talent our youth can muster to keep up with our increasingly technological world.

The book also provides loads of suggestions on how to work with your child's school, participate in outside classes and alternative learning environments, etc. After you read it, make sure to pass it on to your child's teacher and then the principal. Something needs to be done soon!

Jan and Bob Davidson and writer Laura Vanderkam have presented a case for gifted education that is both logical and heartfelt. Genius Denied identifies the flaw in the current trend toward egalitarianism and addresses how to best meet the needs of children with superior intellectual abilities. The importance of mentors is stressed and vignettes present gifted children in all sorts of educational situations. Clearly, the children who thrive are those who are encouraged by one or more caring adults.
My family participates in the Davidson Young Scholar program and we will be eternally grateful for the experience. We are one of the families mentioned who have chosen to homeschool rather than subject our children to the lock-step lowest common denominator methods practiced by our local public schools. Homeschooling is wonderful, yet my career is on hold and we are forced to economize in order to survive as a one income family in a two income society.
Genius Denied should be required reading for educators. It's a powerful book and I plan to present a copy to a school principal I know. Perhaps you might also do this!