This handbook, based on "HUERTA DEL REY" Center (Valladolid) research and work through last years, is a theoretic-practical guide of gifted children's educational needs.
As knowing in depth the studies made in recent years on the educational, psychological and giftedness areas, I think that this handbook presents, on the one hand, a new research based on a comparative study of transverse cohort, dealing deeply with school and social adaptation taking into account the variables of age, sex and level of intelligence; besides it means the result from the doctoral dissertation by Juan A. Alonso and the theoretic and practical research developed by Yolanda Benito, who is a professor of Valladolid University, Head of "HUERTA DEL REY" Center and is specialized in identifying gifted children and in training teachers on the socio-educational field. On the other hand, the handbook involves educational implications and proposals, to get the respect that the right to diversity and equality are deserving, what means providing each child with whatever he/she is requiring to develop
him/herself appropriately and so, avoiding possible emotional disorders, intellectual inhibition and school underachievement or disaster.
The book consists of four parts : the first one describes the population concerned; to which, knowing different conceptions, proving some common and usual features are required. The second part develops the method used by the researchers, describing the sample selected as well as tests and Techniques used with regard to its proven scientific criteria, that is to say: validity, reliability and objectivity.
The third part deals with and analyzes the results, justifying the social and school implications, and also, the conclusions resulting from the research, what gives a theoretical base and practical richness useful for teachers' daily task. Finally, the fourth part tries to avoid school and social non-adaptation, which is often affecting the gifted child and youth, by providing tools like general educational strategies and teachers' preparation and training with a great deal of activities and possibilities to do.
Both results and date of this study mean an important advance for both fields of education and psychology, but specially for the giftedness field having been made by a prestigious and international well-known work team. This book is a valuable addition to our understanding of the needs of gifted children and the ways that psychologists and educators can help to better meet these needs.
