Hothouse kids
Subtitle: the dilemma of the gifted child
By: Alissa Quart
Publisher: Penguin Press
Published: 2006
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 260
ISBN-13: 9781594200953
Subjects: Soziale Herkunft; Psychology; Hochbegabung; Schüler; Social conditions; Gifted children; Education; Children; Intelligence levels
Description: While studies show that children who are superior learners benefit from enriched early education, the intensely competitive lives of America's gifted and talented kids do have risks. The pressure can have long-term effects in adult life, from debilitating perfectionism to performance anxiety and lifelong feelings of failure. Author Quart traveled the country to research the many ways in which the current craze to "produce" gifted kids and prodigies has gone too far. She takes a hard look at the claims about educational toys and baby sign language, elite IQ testing and kid competitions, uncovering the dangers of such heated pressure to excel so early in life. Surveying expert assessments of the necessary role of unstructured play in child development, she warns about the disappearance of recess and the pitfalls of overstuffed schedules. She also profiles the growing divide in opportunities for wealthy kids versus those from middle and lower income families.--From publisher description.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [235]-248) and index.
Table of contents: title: The Icarus effect; title: The baby genius edutainment complex : the new smart baby products; title: The educated infant : classes for an improved childhood; title: Child's play or child labor? : preprofessional kids; title: Gifted and left behind : enrichment in the public schools; title: Gurus of giftedness : intelligence testing and talent by other measures; title: Extreme parenting : mothers and fathers as the ultimate instructors; title: Youth competitors : youth contests for good and for ill; title: Children of God : the teen preaching tournaments; title: The prodigy hunters : math whiz kids become Wall Street recruits; title: Rethinking giftedness : against perfection.