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Social/Emotional Development: Social Values/Behavior

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  • Organizations: National

    Challenge Success
    The mission of Challenge Success is to partner with schools and families to provide kids with the academic, social, and emotional skills needed to succeed now and in the future. Their website provides resources for educators and parents to help young people engage in learning, build healthy life skills, and define success in his or her own way.
    Greenwich Education Group
    Greenwich Education Group houses a rich array of academic resources, including subject tutoring, test preparation, day and boarding school advisory services serving gifted students, college counseling, diagnostic assessment, clinical and coaching services and social skills support.
    Kieve-Wavus (ME)
    Kieve-Wavus Education is a multi-faceted non-profit organization with facilities on two Damariscotta Lake campuses in Maine. The organization specializes in experiential educational programs for children and adults including Kieve Camp for Boys, Wavus Camp for Girls, KW West, The Leadership School, 9/11 Family Camp, Veterans Camp and a Writers’ Conference.
    Prudential Spirit of Community Awards
    The Spirit of Community Awards are a terrific opportunity for kids to be recognized for service in their communities. Nominations are made through schools, Scout troops and 4H Councils. Awards are given at the organization level as well as on the state, regional and national levels.

  • Organizations: Regional

    GiftedMatters4Kids.com
    Located in New York, Dr. Susan Paynter, a child advocate, award-winning educator, and nationally recognized expert on gifted learners, helps schools and families create customized strategies designed to help gifted children feel challenged, successful, and fulfilled. She works one-on-one and collaboratively to design programs that adapt teaching methods to the learning styles of these unique students, rather than trying to adapt the students to the teaching methods. Dr. Paynter offers social skills training, parent support, enrichment classes and IEP development to help gifted kids flourish.

  • Printed Materials: Books

    A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children
    Four experts (Webb, Gore, Amend, DeVries) in the field of gifted and talented provide practical guidance in the areas of: Characteristics of gifted children; Peer relations; Sibling issues; Motivation & underachievement; Discipline issues; Intensity & stress; Depression & unhappiness; Educational planning; Parenting concerns; Finding professional help; and much, much more! Click here to read a review of this book.
    A Very Practical Guide to Discipline with Young Children
    What is the right way to handle discipline with young children? With humor and insight Dr. Grace Mitchell uses actual situations to demonstrate her gentle and tested method for disciplining young children.
    A Volcano in My Tummy
    A Volcano in My Tummy gives an approach to helping children and adults alike understand and deal constructively with children's anger. The book includes activities which help to overcome the fear of children's anger which many adult care-givers experience, and distinguishes between anger the feeling, and violence the behavior. Primarily created for ages 6 to thirteen, it is accessible for use in class or at home.
    Activities That Teach
    This book written by Tom Jackson, contains a variety of activities that are great supplements to units for social issues. Additionally, this author offers specific guidelines and ideas to help kids learn practical ways to make decisions, solve problems and think about life issues. The author is the founder of the Active Learning Foundation.
    Anti-Intellectualism in American Life
    This book sheds light on many features of the American character. Its concern is not merely to portray the scorners of intellect in American life, but to say something about what the intellectual is, and can be, as a force in a democratic society.
    Armond Goes to a Party: A book about Asperger’s and friendship
    This book tells the story of Armond, who doesn’t want to go to Felicia’s birthday party. Parties are noisy, disorganized, and involve socializing with other kids. But with the support of friends, he not only gets through the party, but also has fun. This book can be helpful for anyone to learn about coping with autism or Asperger’s.
    Autonomous Learner Model Resource Book
    This book includes activities and strategies to support the development of autonomous learners. More than 40 activities are included, all geared to the emotional, social, cognitive, and physical development of students. Teachers may use these activities and strategies with the entire class, small groups, or with individuals who are ready to be independent, self-directed, lifelong learners. Field-tested strategies and activities in the book include Find Someone Who, Teacher and Learner Questionnaires, Lifelong Notebook, Time Capsule, and Night of the Notables.
    Being Smart About Gifted Children: A Guidebook For Parents And Educators
    Writers Dona J. Matthews and Joanne F. Foster advises the reader on how to answer the tricky questions, support gifted kids in today's "common" world, and what to tell the kids along the way. This book also examines different ways of supporting optimal development in those who have been labeled "gifted," and those who have not.
    Bullying Is a Pain in the Brain (Revised & Updated Edition)
    No one wants to be picked on, pushed around, threatened, or teased. With practical suggestions and humor, kids will learn to stop bullying in its tracks. Refreshed to reflect the latest research, this updated classic reassures kids that it’s not their fault if they are bullied and describes realistic ways to become “Bully-Proof.” It shows how bystanders can stand up for others and how to get help in dangerous situations. Even kids who bully will find ideas they can use to get along with others and feel good about themselves—without making other people miserable. An older version of the book is available here.
    Cheating, Dishonesty, and Manipulation: Why Bright Kids Do It
    In this book, Maupin discusses solutions and strategies to build honesty and confidence and to provide appropriate challenges and healthy outlets for creativity so that children can become self-sufficient, life-long learners who no longer feel a need to resort to cheating, dishonesty, or manipulation.
    Children: The Challenge : The Classic Work on Improving Parent-Child Relations--Intelligent, Humane & Eminently Practical
    Dr. Rudolf Dreikurs, one of America's foremost child psychiatrists, presents an easy to follow program that teaches parents how to cope with the common childhood problems that occur from toddler through preteen years. This book gives the key to parents who seek to build trust and love in their families, and raise happier, healthier, and better behaved children.
    Children's Friendship Training
    This book is a manualized guide for therapists treating children with peer problems. This unique, empirically validated treatment is the first to integrate parents into the therapy process to ensure generalization to school and home. Representing more than 12 years of research, this guide presents the comprehensive social skills training program developed by these pioneering authors.
    Coping for Capable Kids: Strategies for Parents, Teachers, and Students
    From solving social problems, to dealing with perfectionism, and developing time-management strategies, to mastering goal setting, this book is the most comprehensive, up-to-date guide for gifted kids, their parents, and teachers. Based on years of research and experience, this book is actually two books in one—an exciting easy-to-read, high-interest book for bright students and a book for parents and teachers. Click here to read a review of this book.
    Cues & Clues To Children's Behaviors: A Guide To Raising A Happy, Well-Adjusted Child
    This comprehensive and informative book, written by Salma Bhalla, Ph.D. is a guide to recognizing the ways children express their emotional and social problems through their behaviors. The book, written in a reader friendly style with examples, first makes the parents aware of causes of these behaviors. Then, it provides effective ways to help their child cope with anger, anxiety, stress, low self-esteem, and divorce. Available in paperback and as an ebook.
    Early Gifts: Recognizing and Nurturing Children's Talents
    Written by Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, Ph.D., Lisa Limburg-Weber, Ph.D. and Steven Pfeiffer, Ph.D., this book offers sound advice and guidance for parents of gifted and talented children of preschool and elementary school age. The authors detail how parents can create a home environment that both elicits and develops their child's special abilities through activities, games, and play.
    Education of the Gifted and Talented (6th Edition)
    Written by Gary A. Davis and Sylvia B. Rimm, this book is a standard introductory text in gifted education. The sixth edition has been thoroughly revised, most notably with the latest research on acceleration, curriculum models, underachievement, culturally and economically disadvantaged students, gender issues, and dual exceptionalities. The content is further supported and enhanced by the inclusion of numerous practical strategies that can be implemented in the classroom, case studies that help teachers identify student needs, summaries of research on effective programs, emphasis on pedagogy and on social-emotional needs, heightened awareness of less visible sub-groups within gifted populations, and an amusing, witty writing style that adds to the appeal of this best-selling book.
    Free to Be You and Me
    For ages 9-12, Free To Be... You And Me is a storybook and a songbook, a collection of poems and a gallery of pictures that bring out the child in readers of all ages. This innovative book celebrates diversity, challenges stereotypes, and encourages kids to be themselves in a joyful, positive manner. Its contents can be read aloud and shared. Best of all, in the midst of all the merriment this book brings, kids experience important messages and learn valuable life lessons.
    From Worrier to Warrior: A Guide to Conquering Your Fears
    A companion guide to Make Your Worrier a Warrior (for parents), this book is designed to teach students how to conquer the Worry Monster by using several easy-to-follow strategies to overcome worry and fear. From Worrier to Warrior teaches readers how to create a “toolbox” of ways to combat fear and anxiety, and conquer the Worry Monster at any time.
    Gifted Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders (The Practical Strategies Series in Gifted Education)
    Like other twice-exceptional children, gifted children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are sometimes forced to choose between addressing the concerns of one exceptionality over another, but this is occurring less and less as dedicated teachers and informed parents collaborate to create environments and programming that supports the child’s individual profile of abilities. Written by Maureen Neihart, Psy.D. and Kenneth Poon, Ph.D. , this book describes instructional and behavior management strategies for the most common challenges teachers face with gifted children with ASD so that the abilities of these children can be developed to their fullest potential.
    Gifted Parent Groups: The SENG Model
    This book by Arlene Devries and Dr. James T. Webb, provides provides the essential information for persons wishing to conduct SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted) Model parent support groups for parents of gifted children. The groups are designed to help parents gain a better understanding of their children and to help their children develop positive self-esteem and interpersonal skills.
    Growing Up Again: Parenting Ourselves, Parenting Our Children (2nd Edition)
    Growing Up Again provides information about ages and stages of development, ways to nurture children and yourself, and tools for personal and family growth. This new edition also addresses the special demands of parenting adopted children and the problem of overindulgence; a recognition and exploration of prenatal life and your final days as unique life stages; new examples of nurturing, structuring, and discounting, as well as concise ways to identify them; help for handling parenting conflicts in blended families, and guidelines on supporting children's spiritual growth.
    Guiding the Gifted Child: A Practical Source for Parents and Teachers
    This award-winning practical source for parents and teachers discusses the unique social and emotional needs and concerns of gifted students. Includes chapters on motivation, discipline, peer relationships, sibling relationships, stress management, depression, and many other issues that parents and teachers encounter daily. See also A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children for an updated version of this book.
    Handbook of Psychosocial Characteristics of Exceptional Children
    This in-depth handbook examines the categories of exceptionality most often described in educational, behavioral, and health practices. Here, editors Vicki L. Schwean and Donald H. Saklofske compile valuable information from leading authorities in the medical, psychological and educational fields.
    Helping the Child Who Doesn't Fit In
    Written by Stephen Norwicki, Jr. Ph.D. and Marshall P. Duke, Ph.D., this book aims to help children who are "square pegs" in social circles. The authors, both of whom are clinical psychologists, offer parents strategies for helping their child improve his/her social relationships through improved non-verbal communication skills. Chapter titles include: Use of space and touch, gestures and postures, facial expressions, and the like.
    High IQ Kids: Collected Insights, Information, and Personal Stories from the Experts
    Profoundly gifted kids often get the least help in school. It’s assumed they’re smart enough to succeed on their own, plus teachers (and parents) feel out of their depth with these unique kids. A blend of personal stories and practical strategies, scholarly articles and entertaining essays from a community of voices—parents, educators, authors, researchers, and other experts—this book addresses the joys and challenges of raising and teaching, living with and understanding exceptionally gifted kids of all ages.
    How Not to Be a Bully Target: A Program for Victims of Childhood Bullying
    Children learn how to avoid being the target of bullies and how to tap into their own strengths to value themselves and realize that everyone deserves respect. Self-confidence building techniques help children learn that all kids should be treated with dignity. Using stories of a fifth-grade student, the lessons nurture kindness, empathy, acceptance, and positive self-regard.
    How Rude! Teenager's Guide to Good Manners, Proper Behavior, & Not Grossing People Out
    This is a great book about manners for any and every occasion. Most books on manners are droll do-this-do-that books, but this one is hilarious and still gets the point across. Some of the topics covered in this book are: how to "cope with cliques, handle friendship problems, be a host with the most (and a guest with the best), offer someone your seat, fight fair, answer invitations, deal with rude adults, respond to bigoted remarks, write a letter addressed properly for any occasion, survive a formal dinner..." and much more.
    How to Handle a Hard-To-Handle Kid: A Parent's Guide to Understanding and Changing Problem Behaviors
    C. Drew Edwards offers alternative parenting strategies by showing your child "Support Through Listening." By applying this technique, the child tends to be less resistant to authority and less prone to temper tantrums.
    I'm Not Just Gifted: Social-Emotional Curriculum for Guiding Gifted Children
    What traits and characteristics define successful people? Why do gifted children, in particular, need a strong affective curricula in order to maximize their potential? These questions and more are explored in this guide to helping gifted children in grades 4–7 as they navigate the complicated social and emotional aspects of their lives. Including lesson plans, worksheets, and connections to Common Core State Standards, this is a practical guide necessary for anyone serving and working with gifted children.
    In Celebration of Play
    Play is the child's way of learning about, adapting to and integrating with his or her environment. In addition to adequate sports and recreation facilities children need a wide variety of opportunities, choices and raw materials that they can use as they see fit for free constructive creative play. These essays, drawn from papers given at the International Playgrounds Association's Seventh World Congress, focus on the social significance of play.
    Intellectual Talent: Psychometric and Social Issues
    Based on the work of Julian C. Stanley and his landmark model for working with gifted youth, this book brings together a distinguished group of authorities to examine the dominant techniques used to educate gifted youth today and the exemplification of those techniques in various university-based programs across the country.
    Is Your Child Hyperactive? Inattentive? Impulsive? Distractable?: Helping the ADD/Hyperactive Child
    This book outlines a proven step-by-step program to help change your child's behavior at home. Stephen Garber discusses the characteristics of inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsivity.
    Kids, Parents and Power Struggles: Winning for a Lifetime
    Noted family educator Mary Sheedy Kurcinka struck a national chord with her bestselling Raising Your Spirited Child. With this book, she hits upon another crucial parenting topic: coping with the everyday challenges of disciplining your child, while understanding the issues behind his/her behavior. She offers unique approaches to solving the daily, and often draining, power struggles between you and your child. With her successful strategies, you'll be able to identify the trigger situations that set off these struggles and get to the root of the emotions and needs of you and your child.
    Living With Intensity: Understanding the Sensitivity, Excitability, and the Emotional Development of Gifted Children, Adolescents, and Adults
    This book describes the overexcitabilities of gifted students, as well as strategies for dealing with children and adults who experience them. It also provides essential information on Dabrowski’s Theory of Positive Disintegration. Learn practical methods for nurturing sensitivity, intensity, perfectionism, and much more. Also view Tips for Parents: Living With Intensity – Overexcitabilities in Profoundly Gifted Children.
    Make Social Learning Stick! How to Guide and Nurture Social Competence Through Everyday Routines and Activities
    This book offers a social learning diet of concepts and actions that can be used in everyday life to increase verbal and nonverbal language, listening skills, understanding of hidden rules, perspective taking,executive functioning, and more. The activities are recipes for social and emotional learning for which parents, teachers, and therapists typically already have the ingredients. With close to 200 fun and easy activities, including contributions from leading experts, this book offers numerous ways to embrace teachable moments throughout daily routines without having to do extra work.
    Make Your Worrier a Warrior: A Guide to Conquering Your Child's Fears
    A companion guide to From Worrier to Warrior: A Guide to Conquering Your Fears, this book offers parents the opportunity to help their children or teens do the most courageous thing they will ever have to do: conquer their Worry Monster. Make Your Worrier a Warrior provides useful and comforting methods that parents can use to help their children create an anxiety-reducing “toolbox” to carry with them wherever they go. In building this foundation for their children, parents might even find that these strategies will work just as effectively to manage their own anxieties.
    Not Now Maybe Later: Helping Children Overcome Procrastination
    This book is written for parents and teachers as a guide to understanding procrastination, primarily in children, and to provide tips for helping children develop skills to improve their productivity. Procrastination relates to many important aspects of life, including success and failure, school-related and other activities, an individual’s thoughts and feelings, and motivation.
    Parenting Gifted Kids: Tips for Raising Happy and Successful Children
    James R. Delisle, Ph.D. offers tips and strategies for raising a gifted child today with a humorous and encouraging perspective. Some topics include: understanding personality traits and perfectionism in gifted children, how to work with the school system, setting reasonable goals and more. Click here to read a review of this book.
    Parent's Guide to Raising a Gifted Toddler: Recognizing and Developing the Potential of Your Child from Birth to Five Years
    While this digest includes articles, research reports and advice from Gifted Children Monthly, it also contains original work by author James Alvino on emotional needs, perfectionism and the superbaby scourge and gender-specific issues.
    Quiet Kids: Help Your Introverted Child Succeed in an Extroverted World
    This book is designed to provide parents with a blueprint for understanding the nature of introversion. Quiet Kids provides specific strategies to teach children how to thrive in a world that may not understand them. Presented in an easy-to-read, conversational style, this book uses real-world examples and stories from introverts and parents to show parents and educators how to help children develop resiliency and enhance the positive qualities of being an introvert. Click here to read a review of this book.
    Quiet Power: The Secret Strengths of Introverts
    Written by Susan Cain, author of Quiet, this book titled Quiet Power: The Secret Strengths of Introverts speaks directly to introverted kids and teens, and to the teachers and parents in their lives. Quiet Power explains just what an introvert is, and takes kids through all the ways being an introvert plays out in their everyday: in school; with friends; while pursuing extra-curricular activities; and at home. Quiet Power shows introverted kids how strong and special they really are, and helps them to embrace their secret strengths.
    Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
    This book questions the dominant values of American business culture, where forced collaboration can stand in the way of innovation, and where the leadership potential of introverts is often overlooked. And it draws on cutting-edge research in psychology and neuroscience to reveal the surprising differences between extroverts and introverts. Quiet introduces successful introverts–from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Finally, it offers invaluable advice on everything from how to better negotiate differences in introvert-extrovert relationships, to how to empower an introverted child, to when it makes sense to be a “pretend extrovert.”
    Raise Your Child's Social IQ: Stepping Stones to People Skills for Kids
    Written by Cathi Cohen for parents, this book offers step-by-step exercises that parents can do with their children to increase social skills and awareness. Based on the highly successful social skills training groups that have been directed by Cohen for many years, Raise Your Child's Social I.Q. provides parents with the structure to work on skills at home--how to join a group, how to choose friends, how to notice what people around you are feeling, how to handle angry feelings and much, much more. Click here to read a review of this book.
    Real Boys: Rescuing Our Sons from the Myths of Boyhood
    Based on William Pollack's groundbreaking research at Harvard Medical School for more than two decades, Real Boys explores this generation's "silent crisis": why so many boys are sad, lonely, and confused although they may appear tough, cheerful, and confident. Only when we understand what boys are really experiencing, says Pollack, can parents and teachers help them develop more self-confidence and the emotional savvy they need to deal with issues such as depression and violence, drugs and alcohol, sexuality and love.
    Redirecting Children's Behavior
    This book by Kathryn J. Kvols and Bill Riedler discusses a new approach to discipline. Parents know there should be more to family life than arguments, neglected chores, disrespectful kids, infringed limits, and punishments that don't create self-motivated individuals. This book based on firmness and kindness helps promote peace in families by offering skills to understand why kids misbehave; improve communication and encourage children; set and enforce limits positively; and teach children self-control.
    School Success for Kids with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
    This book written by Michelle R. Davis, Vincent P. Culotta, Eric A. Levine and Elisabeth Hess Rice gives parents and teachers of students with emotional and behavioral disorders the strategies they need to help these kids overcome their struggles and Find success in school.
    Self-Directed Learning: Documentation and Life Stories
    What guarantees success? Four years of high school? A college degree? A nine-to-five job? Perhaps, but many teens yearn for a different path. In his latest book, “Self-Directed Learning: Documentation and Life Stories,” Wes Beach argues that people who recognize their genuine interests and talents need only their self-knowledge, confidence, enthusiasm, determination, ability to persevere, and sense of autonomy to carry them where they want to go. Wes shares stories of people whose needs were not met by traditional education, and thus created their own paths.
    Setting Limits With Your Strong-Willed Child: Eliminating Conflict by Establishing CLEAR, Firm, and Respectful Boundaries
    Robert MacKenzie, Ed.D., founder of the Setting Limits Program, gives parents useful strategies for teaching respectful limit setting. Learn how to understand and empathize with your child without giving in, hold your ground, and remove daily power struggles between you and your child. Setting Limits teaches everybody in the family new skills and encourages a more peaceful life in any social setting.
    Siblings Without Rivalry: How to Help Your Children Live Together So You Can Live Too
    With a title like this, it's no surprise that authors Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish had a monster bestseller on their hands when the book first appeared in 1988. From the subsequent deluge of readers' stories, questions, and issues, they have created nearly 50 pages of new material for this, the 10th anniversary edition. The central message remains the same, and sounds almost too simple: avoid comparisons. But parents know that's easier said than done. The value of Faber and Mazlish's discussions is precisely that they talk you through umpteen different situations and outcomes to help you teach your brawling offspring a new set of responses.
    Smart but Scattered Teens: The "Executive Skills" Program for Helping Teens Reach Their Potential
    This book provides a science-based program for promoting teens' independence by building their executive skills—the fundamental brain-based abilities needed to get organized, stay focused, and control impulses and emotions.
    Social & Emotional Teaching Strategies (The Practical Strategies Series in Gifted Education)
    As a classroom teacher, you play an active role in your students' social and emotional development. This guide by Stephanie K. Ferguson, Ph.D. offers useful advice and suggestions for classroom teachers seeking to support the emotional growth of the gifted children in their classroom.
    Social Skills Picture Book for High School and Beyond
    The Social Skills Picture Book for High School and Beyond by Jed Baker, offers a visual learning format. Photos of actual students engaging in a wide variety of social situations show, rather than tell, the right (and wrong) ways to interact in different circumstances. They visually illustrate the positive and negative consequences of both ways of interacting. The book also offers instructions for students & families to create their own Social Skills booklets.
    Stick Up for Yourself!: Every Kid’s Guide to Personal Power and Positive Self-Esteem
    Stick Up for Yourself!: Every Kid’s Guide to Personal Power and Positive Self-Esteem, written by Gershen Kaufman, Ph.D., Lev Raphael, Ph.D., and Pamela Espeland, is the ultimate resource for any kid who’s ever been picked on at school, bossed around, blamed for things he or she didn’t do, or treated unfairly—and for any kid who sometimes feels frustrated, angry, powerless, or scared. Simple words and real-life examples show how children can stick up for themselves with other kids (including bullies and teasers), big sisters and brothers, even grown-ups.
    Sticks and Stones: Seven Ways Your Child Can Deal with Teasing, Conflict, and Other Hard Times - Tools for Navigating Parenthood
    Scott Cooper helps parents teach kids how to speak up for themselves more assertively, gently, and effectively. Each chapter, based on the characteristics of a particular bird, uses a wealth of examples and imaginative exercises to give kids the confidence to speak truth to power.
    Suicide Among Gifted Children and Adolescents: Understanding the Suicidal Mind
    This book explores the phenomenon of suicide among students with gifts and talents. It provides the reader with a coherent picture of what suicidal behavior is; clarifies what is known and what is unknown about it; shares two major theories of suicide with explanatory power; and offers an emerging model of the suicidal behavior of students with gifts and talents.
    Take Control of OCD: The Ultimate Guide for Kids With OCD
    This book is a unique guide for students ages 10–16 with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. It is designed to help them take control of the disorder and find success in school and in life. Using a cognitive-behavioral therapy method to stress gradual exposure to students' obsessive thinking patterns, the book takes kids step-by-step through a ladder-based process to conquer their fears and demolish their worries.
    Teaching Values: An Idea Book for Teachers (And Parents)
    In this workbook, Gary A. Davis provides activities and excercises for teaching students ages 9-15. Objectives and discussion questions for more than 50 lessons are included. Pages are reproducible and include checklists, quizzes and word searches. Davis assists educators in discussing universal values using creative lesson plans, questions, and role-play.
    Teaching Your Child the Language of Social Success
    Scientific studies show that up to 90 percent of any message is communicated nonverbally, and that nonverbal skills relate directly to academic achievement and social success. Fortunately, nonverbal communication can be both taught and learned, just like any other language. This book is a useful tool for parents and teachers who are interested in helping their children develop nonverbal skills.
    Teen Proofing: Fostering Responsible Decision Making in Your Teenager
    Teen-Proofing tackles the challenges of raising a teenager. Rosemond lays out a perfectly sound and logical case for recognizing the realities of the teen-parent relationship, forming the foundation, and parenting with the "Long Rope Principle."
    Teen Success! Jump Start Ideas to Move Your Mind
    Authors Beatrice Elyé and Catherine Southwick use a warm conversational style to help give your teenager the practical skills they need to succeed: time management, speed reading, communication and decision making.
    The 6Rs of Bullying Prevention
    This book utilizes the strongest pieces of best practices and current research for ways to stop bullying. Presented in a practical, six-part framework for reducing peer cruelty and increasing positive behavior support, it includes guidelines for implementing strategies, collecting data, training staff, mobilizing students and parents, building social-emotional skills, and sustaining progress.
    The Courage to Be Yourself: True Stories by Teens About Cliques, Conflicts, and Overcoming Peer Pressure
    Cassandra is hassled by her friends for sitting with the “wrong” kids at lunch. Jennifer gets harassed because she’s overweight. Dwan’s own family taunts her for not being “black enough.” Yen is teased for being Chinese; Jamel for not smoking marijuana. Yet all find the strength to face their conflicts and the courage to be themselves. In 26 first-person stories, real teens write about their lives with searing honesty. They will inspire young readers to reflect on their own lives, work through their problems, and learn who they really are.
    The Difficult Child
    The authors show how to help--and cope with--the difficult child. Temperamentally difficult children can confuse and upset even experienced parents and teachers. They often act defiant, stubborn, loud, aggressive, or hyperactive. They can also be clingy, shy, whiny, picky, and impossible at bedtime, mealtimes, and in public places. The latest version is expanded and revised with new sections on ADHD and the latest medications for childhood disorders. Click here to read a review of this book.
    The Essential Guide to Talking with Gifted Teens: Ready-to-Use Discussions About Identity, Stress, Relationships, and More
    Like other kids their age, highly capable adolescents experience developmental challenges. They’re forging identity, finding direction, exploring relationships, and learning to resolve conflicts. These are difficult tasks to do alone, no matter how smart one may be. The 70 guided discussions in this book are an affective curriculum for gifted teens. By “just talking” with caring peers and an attentive adult, kids gain self-awareness and self-esteem, learn to manage stress, build social skills and life skills, and discover they are not alone.
    The Explosive Child: A New Approach for Understanding and Parenting Easily Frustrated, Chronically Inflexible Children
    This book by Ross Green deals with identification of the frustrated-explosive child and ways to deal with explosive behavior. This text examines the underlying reasons for explosive behavior. The author helps parents to identify the early stages of meltdown and also gives strategies for dealing with these types of children.
    The Survival Guide for Parents of Gifted Kids: How to Understand, Live With, and Stick Up for Your Gifted Child
    This book by authors Sally Yahnke Walker and Susan Perry offers up-to-date, authoritative information about giftedness, gifted educucation, problems, personality traits, and more. You'll learn what 'giftedness' means, how kids are identified as gifted, and what's good—and bad—about the label. You'll find out how to keep from raising a 'nerd,' how to prevent perfectionism, and how to advocate for your child at school.
    Understanding the Social and Emotional Lives of Gifted Students
    This book presents a comprehensive treatment of social and emotional development in high-ability learners. The author, Dr. Thomas Herbert, is a nationally recognized leader in gifted education. In this book, Dr. Herbert discusses theories that guide our examination of the lived experiences of gifted students; social and emotional characteristics and behaviors evidenced in gifted learners; friendships and family relationships that support them; contextual influences that shape their social and emotional lives; and identity development.
    Values Are Forever: Becoming More Caring And Responsible
    Parents, teachers and youth leaders will enjoy teaching character development using this creative workbook by Gary A Davis, Ph.D. Activities covering values such as: Life Goals, Accepting Differences and Earning Respect. He asks students, ages 9-15, to think for themselves. Lessons progress from easy decisions and choices to those with more serious long-term consequences.
    Views from Our Shoes: Growing Up with a Brother or Sister with Special Needs
    In this book, 45 siblings share their experiences as the brother or sister of someone with a disability. The children whose essays are featured here range from four to eighteen and are the siblings of youngsters with a variety of special needs. Their personal tales introduce young siblings to others like them, perhaps for the first time, and allow them to compare experiences.
    What Do You Stand For?: A Kid's Guide to Building Character
    This book invites kids to explore and practice honesty, kindness, empathy, integrity, tolerance, patience and respect. Includes inspiring quotes and activities to inspire them to explore what they stand for at school, home, and the community. True stories profile kids who exemplify positive traits, and resources include books, organizations, programs, and web sites. Throughout, kids are encouraged to understand themselves better and develop the traits that are most important to them.
    What Teens Need to Succeed: Proven, Practical Ways to Shape Your Own Future
    This book inspires and empowers teens to build their own assets. It invites readers to identify the assets they already have and the ones they need, clearly describes the 40 assets identified as most essential, then gives hundreds of suggestions teens can use to develop the assets.
    What to do to Improve Your Child's Manners: Real Solutions From Experts, Parents, and Kids.
    This book contains practical advice and solutions to show parents how to teach children manners, including more than 50 color photos & illustrations.
    What to Do When Your Temper Flares: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Problems with Anger
    Written by Dawn Huebner, Ph.D., this book helps guide children and their parents through cognitive-behavioral techniques used to treat problems with anger.
    When Gifted Kids Don’t Have All The Answers: How to Meet Their Social and Emotional Needs
    In this book, authors Jim Delisle and Judy Galbraith explain what giftedness means, how gifted kids are identified, and how we might improve the identification process. Then they take a close-up look at gifted kids from the inside out—their social and emotional needs. Topics include self-image and self-esteem, perfectionism, multipotential, depression, feelings of “differentness,” and stress. The authors suggest ways to help gifted underachievers and those who are bored in school, and ways to encourage healthy relationships with friends, family and other adults. Click here to read a review of this book (previous 2002 edition).
    Working with Emotional Intelligence
    In his second book, Daniel Goleman takes the concepts from his first book Emotional Intelligence into the workplace. Business leaders and outstanding performers are not defined by their IQs or even their job skills, but by their "emotional intelligence": a set of competencies that distinguishes how people manage feelings, interact, and communicate.
    Writing Your Own Script: A Parent’s Role in the Gifted Child’s Social Development
    In their latest book, Corin Barsily Goodwin and Mika Gustavson, explore a parent's role in their child's social development and how to know when you are doing too much or too little to create age- and intellectually appropriate social opportunities for your child. The book aims to show parents how to help their child to discover the joy of true friendships based on common interests, shared values, and mutual understanding—and help you understand your role in guiding them!
    You’re Smarter Than You Think: A Kid’s Guide to Multiple Intelligences (Revised and Updated Edition)
    Written by Dr. Thomas Armstrong, an award-winning expert on the topic of Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, this book introduces the theory, explains the different types of intelligences (like Word Smart, Self Smart, Body Smart), and helps kids identify their own learning strengths and use their special skills at school, at home, and in life. As kids read the book, they stop asking “How smart am I?” and start asking “How am I smart?” Resources describe related books, software, games, and organizations. This revised and updated edition includes information on a newly researched ninth intelligence, Life Smart—thinking about and asking questions about life, the universe, and spirituality.
    Your Anxious Child: How Parents and Teachers Can Relieve Anxiety in Children
    This book is for parents and teachers wanting to learn more about how to help their student(s) cope with anxiety. Filled with strategies, solid information, a four-step program, engaging activities and personal vignettes, this tome offers effective tools to help your child and/or student become a creative problem solver.
    Your Child: Emotional, Behavioral, and Cognitive Development from Birth through Preadolescence: What's Normal, What's Not, and When to Seek Help
    This book is the result of a group effort of more than 6,500 members of The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP). Many of the most common physical, emotional, behavioral, cognitive, social and moral issues and the challenges of parenting that you will confront in raising a child are discussed.

  • Schools & Programs: Independent

    Birches School (Lincoln, MA)
    This independent, co-educational elementary school offfers vigorous, interdisciplinary academics within a mindful, nurturing environment. The STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) approach centers on nature-based thematic units designed to cultivate academic and social development and to encourage students' curiosity, creativity, self-reliance and empathy.

  • Summer Programs: National

    SOAR (Success Oriented Achievement Realized) (Multiple Locations)
    SOAR (Success Oriented Achievement Realized) features success-oriented, high adventure programs for preteens, teens and adults with Learning Disabilities (LD) and Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder (AD/HD). Emphasis is placed on developing self-confidence, social skills, problem-solving techniques, a willingness to attempt new challenges and the motivation which comes through successful goal orientation.

  • Summer Programs: Northeastern Region

    Renzulli Creativity Programs: Pathways to Excellence in Innovation
    The major goal of this program, designed for students aged 13 to 17, is to teach participants advanced learning skills and how to apply them in creative and investigative ways. The program is designed to promote enthusiasm, a passion for learning, and high levels of engagement in students’ selected areas of interest. Students solve real life problems related to their academic strength areas, personal interests, learning style, and preferred modes of expression. Participants also develop important executive function skills such as time management, task commitment, goal orientation, team work, self-regulation skills, and a strong work ethic.

  • Websites & Other Media: Commercial

    Magination Press Special Books for Children's Special Concerns
    Magination Press publishes innovative books that help children deal with challenges and problems they face growing up. These books deal with topics ranging from the everyday—starting school, shyness, normal fears, and a new baby in the house—to more serious problems, such as divorce, attention deficit disorder, depression, serious injury or illness, autism, trauma, death, and much more.
    The Creative Therapy Store
    This website offers games, conversation cards and puzzles that help promote conversations about social skills, anger management and tough topics in general.

  • Websites & Other Media: For Educators

    National Center for Youth Issues (NCYI)
    National Center for Youth Issues provides educational resources, books, training and support programs to foster the healthy psychosocial, emotional, and physical development of children and youth. NCYI hosts local, regional, and statewide “Healthy Choices for Youth” educator training events, and provides conference management services to help school districts, nonprofits, and government agencies as they work to improve life outcomes for children and youth. This organization also provides free training resources and sells books on various youth issues.

  • Websites & Other Media: Informational

    CHARACTER COUNTS! - Josephson Institute of Ethics
    This nonprofit organization's message is not a curriculum or add-on, but a powerful means to advance curricular and behavioral goals; a framework based on basic values called the Six Pillars of Character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. CHARACTER COUNTS! is the most widely implemented approach to character education, reaching millions of youth.
    Exploring Tomorrow
    Exploring Tomorrow is an online course which teaches students foundational social skills that lead to compassion, love, humanity and leadership. Using the science of Behavior Analysis, each parent and student dyad learns how to select, monitor and achieve goals relative to their unique situation, interests and values.
    Great Minds and 2E Counseling & Resource Center
    This organization specializes in working with gifted and twice exceptional individuals and their family members. Although we have this expertise, we also work with any individual, couple or family struggling with emotional distress, eating disorders, health concerns and addiction. In addition to counseling, they provide consultation to corporations, educational institutions, learning professionals and medical providers on topics relevant to working with gifted and 2e individuals and families.
    Hand in Hand Parenting
    Hand in Hand Parenting sets out to provide parents with insights, skills, and support they need to listen to and connect with their children in a way that allows each child to thrive. This is done through easy-to-access support, classes, and literature. They offer vital information to help parents deal with issues from children biting and kids' temper tantrums to learning issues and bullying on playgrounds and in schools.
    Helping Adolescents Adjust to Giftedness
    This article provides strategies on helping adolescent students adjust to giftedness.
    Parent Footprint
    Dr. Dan Peters, Ph.D. and Payman Fazly have founded their project, Parent Footprint whose mission is to create a compassionate world with loving people, one parent and one child at a time. Available on their website is an interactive training program called Parent Footprint Awareness Training that is designed to simulate the experience of sitting down with a trained professional and receiving individualized responses and content based on current thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Also featured on their website is “The Parent Footprint Podcast with Dr. Dan” and the Parent Footprint blog.
    TiLT Parenting
    TiLT is an online destination aimed at helping parents raising differently-wired kids do so from a place of confidence, connection, and peace. TiLT currently features a weekly podcast and a call to action for parents raising unique kids to take the lead in shifting the current parenting paradigm. The longterm vision for TiLT is to foster a welcoming online community where parents raising atypical kids can tap into resources such as e-courses, ebooks, toolkits, guides, and more, that will help them feel informed, inspired, optimistic, and supported in their own parenting journeys.
    Understood.org - Parenting Coach
    Understood.org provides parenting experts who can answer questions you have about your student's situation and offer advice about where to go next.
    With Understanding Comes Calm
    This website, run by Julie Skolnick, is designed to support parents of twice exceptional children through education, tailor-made strategies and advocacy training. Julie conducts half-day and hour-long teacher workshops and supports gifted and twice exceptional adults in navigating their relationships.

  • Websites & Other Media: Learning Tools

    Character Ed Tools
    These programs will engage your students to consider their character in action. The DVD will get your students talking, the activities will get your students thinking, and the worksheets will get you the feedback you need.