Good books are often good friends. Because gifted readers often intensely identify with characters, good books can provide bridges to new insights and better communication of feelings, values, and decision making, while also fostering intellectual and creative development. Using the text Some of My Best Friends are Books as a guide for the workshop we will look at emotional needs of children of high ability; typical and advanced reading patterns for grades K-12; how parents and teachers can give reading guidance and discuss books with young readers; a well-indexed annotated bibliography of more than 300 books for readers of all ages, carefully selected to promote intellectual and emotional development including books that deal with themes such as Achievement, Aloneness, Arrogance, Developing Imagination, Intensity, Introversion, Perfectionism, Relationships with Others, Sensitivity, and Resiliency.
This workshop alone will count towards 6 professional development hours. Teachers may also select to read one of the listed books and create an activity/project that addresses students' emotional needs. Attending the workshop and completing the reading/activity will count for 18 hours of professional development.