Making the Choice

Making the Choice: When Typical School Doesn’t Fit Your Atypical Child by Corin Barsily Goodwin and Mika Gustavson is a part of the Perspectives in Gifted Homeschooling Series from Gifted Homeschoolers Forum. It is an easy read, it is inexpensive, and you can buy it here. The end.

Now, that was easy! Of course, that’s not ‘the end’, but this book is so good … you shouldn’t need any more persuading than that to read it. I read blog posts, articles online and books about gifted education everyday. This is one of those books that really stands out as a must read for parents of gifted children.

If you are a homeschooling parent or considering homeschooling – this book is for you. If you have a twice-exceptional child that struggles in a public school – this book is for you. If you are the parent of a profoundly gifted child who is not being challenged in their current educational placement – this book is for you. If you are the parent of a gifted child who has grown weary of fighting the system year after year – this book is for you. Have I left anyone out?

Ah … but you are not considering homeschooling. Guess what? You still need this book. It is one of the best books I’ve read that truly explains the nature of twice-exceptional kids from the perspective of a parent who has walked down this path. It also summarizes the many aspects of ‘giftedness’ in a simple to understand language.

Not convinced yet? From the introduction …  “Change is scary. We know that. Sticking with something that is not working is scary, too – in the long run – even if it seems easier now. It is our belief that, as parents, the final responsibility for raising and educating our children rests with us. If a situation is not working, it is up to us to recognize that there is a problem and proactively address it.”

My point is that Making the Choice delivers sound advice on parenting that we all can benefit from by making it a part of our personal libraries. Even though the book is intended to help those contemplating homeschooling, it also does an excellent job of walking parents through the steps of what to do before making a final decision. The authors explain such things as accommodations, modifications, and IEPs .

Another section of the book that I found especially compelling was the discussion of red flags and warning signs that may occur when your child is in an educational environment that simply is not working for them. Some are obvious and others not so much. They also explain the consequences of ignoring these signs.

Making the choice to buy and read this book should be one of the easiest decisions you make as the parent of a gifted child.