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4.5
Bright is different from most books about gifted children because it successfully addresses both the bright child and the adults in the child’s life. As a manual, it is mainly directed towards parents, and the tips and ideas to foster the learning and development of a bright child are helpful and easy to implement.I grew up not knowing where I stood on the gifted range, not even when I scored over 140 on an IQ test at Uni. I think I vaguely thought the upper bar for the test was 200. It was only in my fifties when I plucked up the self-confidence to apply to join the high-IQ society Mensa that I could visualise where I fit in. It would have helped me as a child if someone had shown me metrics of my bright mind.One of the strengths of Alan Thompson’s book is the central role it gives to encouraging bright children. They should know that they have a bright mind. They should be supported in their learning and given the self-confidence both to attempt challenging tasks and to feel that they have a safe space in which to fail and learn again. A strong case is made for mentoring bright children, or in fact, their families, to maximise their development.The positive roles of music and play are emphasised, as is the need to allow bright children freedom to engage with technology – while remembering to be human! According to Alan Thompson, the cumulative effects of good education and generations of bright children have resulted in an increase in intelligence, so today’s gifted children are brighter.Bright is easy to read, with each section foreshadowed with summary questions for adults and children and pertinent anecdotes to illustrate.Anyone with a bright child, or interested in their own intelligence, will be encouraged by Alan Thompson’s book.
