Book Review: Homeschooling Gifted and Advanced Learners

I was really excited to receive Cindy West’s new book, Homeschooling Gifted and Advanced Learners from Prufrock Press to review.

I’m in the trenches homeschooling gifted kiddos, and while it’s a lot of fun… it can be a challenge. Cindy’s new book was such a blessing! As I read through it, I found myself nodding, dog-earing (gasp!) pages to come back to or share with Brian, and feeling like someone was finally able to relate to my day-to-day homeschool.


I was especially excited when I found a sub-head that read, “You Like the Content of the Science Curriculum, But Your Child Wants to Take Rabbit Trails.” It was like Cindy had been sitting in my house observing us for the past few years! Of course, it might be because she has gifted kids that she homeschools…

Kathi Kearney, founder of the Hollingworth Institute, stated in “Homeschooling Gifted Children,” a 1992 article in Understanding Our Gifted, “[H]omeschooling allows the ideal educational program for a highly gifted child to unfold, by providing maximum flexibility in the spirit of the best traditions and the strongest research bases we have in the field of gifted education.”


Homeschooling is a wonderful option for teaching gifted kids, and Cindy devotes the first chapter to exploring the reasons for this. She writes candidly about her own experiences, making you feel like a trusted mentor and friend is sitting across the table calming your latest feelings of inadequacy. She’s been there…


The chapters progress from the why to an overview of homeschooling, curriculum choices and how to meet the needs of different types of learners. She then discusses technology, individualizing instruction, organization and record keeping, and the “socialization” question. Finally she shares what you need to start thinking about in regards to college and addresses frequently asked questions. Throughout the book are “real-life examples,” snippets of homeschoolers’ actual days.


{I have to disclose here that I am quoted in the FAQ section. I answered a questionnaire that Cindy had put out on her blog while she was writing this book, and am truly honored she considered my comments worthy of inclusion.}

My opinion is that this is a book that should be on every homeschooler’s shelf. Not just those of us that school our gifted kids at home, but everyone. It’s down-to-earth, easy to read, and is written by someone who is living the life right alongside you and me. Cindy West knows what she’s talking about, and she shares it in an open, kind, helpful way. You should get this book!

Lucky for you… Prufrock happens to be my publisher, too! And… I happen to have a book coming out in just a couple of weeks, so they’ve given me a FREE SHIPPING code to share with my readers!
If you’ve ever wanted to order any of the amazing titles from Prufrock Press’s catalog – full of parenting books, professional resources, full curriculums, and supplemental resource and activity books – now’s the time! Check out the site, order a few books for your homeschool or classroom {Be sure to add Cindy’s book and mine to your cart… if you’re interested!}, and when you check out, type in the code KESSLER to get free shipping on your order.


Finally, check back in over the next few weeks (it might be a good time to subscribe if you haven’t already) for the launch of Raising Lifelong Learners on Facebook and some great giveaways from Prufrock Press to celebrate the release of Free Resources for Elementary Teachers.

Have a great week!