Review of Louise Porter (2005, 2nd edn.) 'Gifted young children': Crows Nest, Australia: Allen & Unwin Publishing. xii + 271 pp. (paperback). ISBN 1-74114-574-0

Abstract

Porter's text reflects her training in gifted education and her background as an experienced child psychologist, teacher, lecturer and author in gifted early childhood education. She ably summarises and synthesises the mass of research in gifted education and succeeds in producing an easy-to-read text. The book is written in simple language, tempered with personalised phrasing that clearly denotes the author's views. The text is thick with references from the most recent Australasian and international research and the bibliography alone could be most beneficial for those wanting informed research on gifted education generally. Each chapter begins with a poignant quote from the literature, has an introduction, body, conclusion and suggested further reading. Peppered throughout the book are text boxes highlighting useful information that summarises comparisons of important issues from the current research. The content pages hint at the depth of the issues covered in the text. Thirteen topics are grouped under three key headings: Understanding giftedness, Emotional needs of gifted children, and Educational provisions.