Media Kit Viewer - 5 Levels of Gifted (Formerly Losing Our Minds)


Overview Author Events News Articles Reviews Videos/Multimedia Contact Inquiries
Book Reviews
The Washington Post, Jay Mathews


"Two new books on how to teach students of divergent abilities seem at first to have been written on different planets. But Deborah L. Ruf's Losing Our Minds: Gifted Children Left Behind and a new edition of Jeannie Oakes's Keeping Track: How Schools Structure Inequality eventually reveal a similar frustration. Both want children to be given more individual attention and more of an academic challenge than they are getting in most schools. Oakes, a UCLA professor, has studied the results of putting children of different achievement levels in the same classrooms for several decades (the first edition of this book was published in 1985). Ruf, based in Minneapolis, is the national gifted-children program coordinator for American Mensa, an organization for people with high IQs, and works with families of gifted children. Oakes focuses on the problems of students considered below average. She argues that they are labeled slow learners for reasons that have little to do with careful assessment and often have much to do with the fact that their parents are poor or are ethnic minorities. She says such students should be given a chance at challenging lessons and such college preparatory classes as Advanced Placement. If they are kept in tracks reserved for low achievers, she says, that will not happen. The book includes results of work she has done since the first edition with schools that were persuaded to disregard the old tracks and give such students a chance to learn at higher levels. Ruf works on the other end of the spectrum, with students so quick and so bright that they are bored with the pace of most classrooms. But Ruf does not devote much space to defending tracking systems that put those high-achieving students in classes by themselves, since her research seems to indicate that school systems cannot be trusted to teach as well as many of them need and deserve. Instead, she says, schools have to treat all students as individuals and find ways to accelerate their learning as much as they are capable, by skipping grades or providing independent study or, if nothing else works, home schooling. Oakes, in turn, wants to get rid of the gifted label, but she promises worried parents that the school 'will also find ways to accommodate any child whose intellectual gifts are so extreme or whose disabilities are so severe that they require different schooling arrangements on a case-by-case basis.'"

Colleen Harsin, M.A., M.S.W., L.S.W., Davidson Institute for Talent Development


"Finally, a book that thoroughly describes gifted young people and what they need to thrive! This book will be of great benefit to exceptionally gifted young people, their families, and educators ...Parents and educators are likely to gain insight and understanding as they read vignettes included throughout the book that chronicle the experiences of several families with whom Dr. Ruf interacted in the context of her four-year study with 50 families and their 78 highly intelligent children. These vignettes create a window into the lives of these children, as well as provide material to assist readers in considering what giftedness means, related issues that arise and what parents and educators can do to better understand and nurture gifted young people so that they may optimally develop their talents and abilities..."

Derek J. Hall, Ed.S., Advanced language arts/reading teacher, Pompano Beach Middle School, FL


"(Dr. Ruf) provides parents and educators with a theoretical framework to use in finding programs that meet the needs of these (highly talented) students. Ruf provides parents with candid descriptions of gifted young people and what they need to thrive... As a parent, the book provided me with a new awareness of my own children's intellectual development and the importance of recognizing their differences in intelligence and fostering personal growth within each one of them, as individuals."

Edward R. Amend, Psy.D., Amend Psychological Services


"A thorough and thought-provoking book that provides an intriguing new perspective on giftedness; it is full of helpful ideas for parents."

Gregg & Jenny, Parents of a gifted child


"Deborah's book on gifted children is FANTASTIC!! We had a million questions on what to do with our gifted boy. Deborah's in-depth, real-world profiles of kids just like ours helped us with many of the answers. Her writing style is down to earth - just like she is talking to you 'friend-to-friend'. We will use this book as a 'how-to' for many years to come."

Janet Glazebrook, St. Louis, MO


"Losing Our Minds Will Save Your Sanity!!! As the mother of a gifted child I have read many books to help me understand not only my child better but also his educational needs. THIS BOOK IS A MUST!!!! Dr. Deborah Ruf clearly outlines which schools are necessary for the different levels of giftedness and how to evaluate the schools. This book really gets to the heart of what every parent of a gifted child needs to know...how best to meet their child's educational needs. There is fascinating information concerning case histories of children and their behaviors and skills. This is an invaluable tool for a parent trying to see just how gifted their child is. Do yourself a favor and save your sanity by reading Dr. Ruf's book."

Jean Goerss, M.D., President, Bove Institute for Exceptional Children


"Every parent of a gifted child should read this book before that child steps into a classroom. I wish I had this book years ago!"

Kirkus Reviews, http://www.kirkusreviews.com/kirkusreviews/reports/parenting_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001022396


"If little Johnny was areading as soon as he came out of the womb, you'll want to read this helpful guide to raising and educating gifted children. How do you even know if your child is gifted? According to Ruf, an educational consultant and experienced teacher, an early use of complex sentences and a sharp spatial memory are among the indicators. This book will help moms and dads advocate for their gifted kids in schools, as well as helping them to parent their gifted child correctly.

"Ruf is practical and detailed, addressing questions ranging from homework (gifted kids often don't need to do 85 math problems to understand basic algebra, so they usually wind up with poor study habits that plague them later in life) to boredom. She is also sensitive to the emotional challenges of being gifted and parenting gifted kids. Both children and their parents may feel lonely, she says. Other mothers may see Johnny's mom as pushy or stuck-up. Still, not all gifted children are the same. Ruf sketches five levels of intellectual giftedness, ranging from 'profoundly gifted' (future Einstein) to 'moderately gifted' (the kids who will be in the top quarter of a normal school class). Ruf researched 50 families with gifted children - a total of 78 kids in all - and her book is enlivened with stories about kids' different gifts, struggles and learning styles. An invaluable guide for teachers, school administrators and parents."

Little Red Hen (Amazon.com Username), Wisconsin


"A Must-Read for Parents... An Eye-Opener for Teachers. Dr. Ruf's book provides a glimpse into the lives of a group of young gifted children thru the eyes of their often amazed and sometimes bewildered parents. She details how and why the current system of public education under serves many gifted children, and outlines educational alternatives. The first half of this book is a celebration of giftedness. Dr. Ruf presents parental observations of their children's growth and development - from birth thru the school years. These observations chronicle the awareness, intensity, and abilities of gifted children, especially from birth to age five. 'Dr. Ruf uses the parent comments to illustrate her findings on gifted behavior and development. For parents of gifted children the first half of the book is a wonderful validation of what they have, themselves, witnessed in their children - the early attainment of developmental milestones, the precocious questions and observations - the everyday anecdotes that parents long to share with friends and family... but often don't feel comfortable sharing. For those in educational professions, the first half of the book may help them understand that gifted children have always been different from their age mates - and to what extent.' Teachers will recognize that the verbal skills, mathematical ability, and grasp of abstract concepts shown by these very young children are often years above the norm. The second half of the book is devoted to the realities of the current educational system in relation to gifted education. Dr. Ruf explains why gifted children are routinely under-challenged in the typical school setting. She also describes the fundamental mismatch of goals between what a gifted child wants and expects from school and what schools are willing and able to provide. Parents often recognize the disparity between what their child needs academically and socially... and what current educational philosophy deems 'appropriate'. Dr. Ruf outlines what various types of school settings can provide for gifted children, and describes educational alternatives that parents may choose to pursue if they decide to take control of their children's educational needs."

N.M. Robinson, Emerita, University of Washington (CHOICE, Current Reviews for Academic Libraries)


"Far too often, authors write about gifted children as though they were a homogeneous population and then describe only themost dramatically gifted, who are far from representative of the group. Emphasizing the rare, profoundly gifted misleads parents into thinking that if their children are not like that, they must not be gifted after all. This valuable little book introduces parents (and teachers as well as other professionals who come into contact with bright children) to a differentiated view of intellectual/academic giftedness, its manifestations, and the students' educational and social-emotional needs. The five levels the author describes range from children with intellectual abilities barely into the top 10 percent to those one meets just a few times in a lifetime. Using primarily parental descriptions of 78 children in 50 families, from birth to high school, Ruf describes the children's behavior, multiple options for their optimal education (and the rarity with which these options are provided by schools), and issues of parenting and supporting them. While one could quibble over details, this is an exceptionally valuable perspective for all those living and working with gifted children. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers; upper-division undergraduates and above."

Susan R. Rakow, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Cleveland State University


"Though primarily aimed at parents, it also has the potential to be helpful to educators involved with gifted education. Part I addresses what it means to be gifted, starting from one family's experiences and branching out into more general issues for parents. An excellent chapter discusses why intellectual level matters, a question we're asked more and more in these days of 'all children are gifted' and NCLB where minimum standards often set the ceiling for whole classrooms."

The Education Shelf, Midwest Book Review


"Featuring fascinating and illustrative vignettes from fifty different families. Losing Our Minds: Gifted Children Left Behind, by Deborah L. Ruf (educational consultant and the national coordinator for American Mensa's 'Gifted Children Program'), is written specifically for parents and teachers who work with gifted children. With descriptions of behaviors associated with children who measure at the highest ranges of intelligence, Losing Our Minds features information about intelligence testing, early developmental milestones for gifted, family concerns arising from having a gifted child, choosing a school for the gifted child; 'Five Levels of Gifted'; educational concerns and trategies for serving the gifted child. Too many of our gifted children are not being properly educated so as to assist them to make the most of what they are capable of in public and private school settings. Losing Our Minds should be mandatory reading for all school board members and educational system administrators, as well as classroom instructors with gifted children among their students, and parents of a gifted child seeking the very best for their talented offspring that a good education can provide."

Tracy Avallone, Mensa Research Journal


"The stories are heart-wrenching at times as parents tell about the problems faced getting their special children appropriate help, but mostly I suspect that those who have or have worked with gifted children will find themselves nodding their heads and laughing right out loud... Precocious children are precious gifts to their families and schools and should become happy, contented gifts to the rest of society as well. This book will be a useful weapon in the hands of those trying to bring about positive change.

"...when I become Queen of the Universe, I will decree that every single solitary teacher and administrator in every institutional school pass an examination on the contents of this book at least once every five years."