> The Things You Can Read: January 2014

The Things You Can Read welcomes you and thanks you for your readership. We, here at The Things You Can Read, ask your help, if you visit our site regularly, please follow us either via email or Google Friend Connect.  Launched on June 7, 2012, our site has already attracted a great deal of attention.  One of the goals of the site is to feature reviews of Children's Picture Books, Young Adult novels and Adult Literary Fiction/Nonfiction.  A second goal for the blog is to be a resource for teachers of English and writing--with examples of student created writing, writing tips, resource links, and the opportunity to pick the brain of a seasoned English teacher.  To spice things up...every now and then, we'll also include random quotes and thoughts on education and life in general, but our ultimate goal is to reach out into the blogosphere and be a "Book Whisperer" and "Writing Whisperer" to children and adults of all ages.   Thank you for your readership.  Here is to a lifetime filled with reading and writing.

Friday, January 31, 2014

Blast from th Past: Authors Card Game


Source



 

 
My favorite card game as a child was Authors, but my original cards have long been lost.  However, imagine my delight on discovering that I have a way of replacing them through the magic of Ebay.  This discovery got even better when I realized I can add older editions to my growing stash of card games, which include different authors.  I'll have to wait a while to share this game with my children since they are too young to play Authors now, but I know when the time is right this discovery allows me to share my love of literature through cards with my children.  If you never played this game here is how it works, this classic literary card game features portraits of famous authors and highlights their four most prominent works, and you play the game like Go Fish.  Did you play Authors as a child?  Let us know here at The Things You Can Read.
 
 
Happy Reading 
The Things You Can Read!
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Win a Signed Copy of Ripper by Isabel Allende



http://apps.shelf-awareness.com/signup/105/91135

Happy Reading 
The Things You Can Read!
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Friday, January 24, 2014

Simon & Schuster's 90th Anniversary Library Sweepstakes


Enter each day until April 9, 2014 to win:  Click Here
 
Simon & Schuster 90th Anniversary Giveway
 
Let us know if you win one of the great books on the Simon & Giveaway list.  Good Luck!

Happy Reading 
The Things You Can Read!
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Thursday, January 16, 2014

How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character by Paul Tough: Review Part 2


"This provocative and profoundly hopeful book will not only inspire and engage readers; it will also change our understanding of childhood itself." -Goodreads
PART 2:  Grit
“The idea of building grit and building self-control is that you get that through failure,” Randolph told me. “And in most highly academic environments in the United States, no one fails anything.” ― Paul Tough, How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character


What is grit?  Webster's Dictionary defines grit as showing courage and resolve- Example:  "a gritty pioneer woman".  A few synonyms offered up for Grit include: courageous, brave, plucky, mettlesome, stouthearted, valiant, bold,spirited, intrepid, tough, determined, resolute, purposeful, dogged, and tenacious.  These are great options, but I am more interested in how Angela Duckworth, an assistant professor in the psychology department at University of Pennsylvania defines it.  She defined Grit with the following analogy:  



Grit is living life like it's a marathon, not a sprint.- Angela Duckworth
Duckworth should know, her research subjects include students, West Point cadets and corporate salespeople, all of whom she continues to study to determine how "grit" is a better indicator of success than factors such as IQ or family income.  How did she become focoused on this type of research?  Well, she left her consulting job and decided to take a job teaching math to seventh-graders in a New York public school. Over the next few years she quickly realized that IQ wasn't the only thing separating the successful students from those who struggled.  This led her into the world of academia, where she continues to study this topic, as she searches for methods that can be used to teach children to be GRITTIER.

If you are interested in the survey Duckworth developed click on over to the survey and find out your grit factor:  Click Here

SIDE NOTE

How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character also led me to seek out other books which were mentioned in the text.  I have, of course, added several of them to my list of To Be Read books on Goodreads for further reading during my year of BECOMING.  An example of the books mentioned include Learned Optimism by Martin Seligman, a leading scholar on the subject of positive psychology.  Check it out if my comments have sparked an interest in this topic.

Click Here to get a feel for what Grit is all about.  Also check out my post of Angela's TED talk on GRIT at my sister site The Writing Whisperings:  Click Here.

This only an example the type of gems that can be found inside the covers of this book.  As I said there is so much information to be discussed and shared I have broken it down into smaller chucks in the hopes that folks will actually read and digest some of these findings.  Check back as I continue to update you on my reflections with regard to this amazing book. 
How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character was featured in an article entitled "The 13 Best Psychology and Philosophy Books of 2013" on Brain Pickings.  How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character is helping me to demystify what makes one child successful and another not. It has certainly given me clarity on the issue of how or why certain children succeed.  I have included an excerpt from the article from Brain Pickings. Read on...and if this is something that makes you go Humm...then click on over to read Brain Pickings full article or better yet pick up the book from your local bookstore or library.

"In How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character(public library) – a necessary addition to these fantastic reads on education – Paul Tough, whose writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Slate, Esquire, The New York Times, sets out to investigate the essential building blocks of character through the findings and practical insight of exceptional educators and bleeding-edge researchers. One of his core arguments is based on the work of pioneering psychologist and 2013 MacArthur "genius" grantee Angela Duckworth, who studied under positive psychology godfather Martin Seligman at my alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, and has done more than anyone for advancing our understanding of how self-control and grit – the relentless work ethic of sustaining your commitments toward a long-term goal – impact success."-BRAIN PICKINGS

Summary:
How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of CharacterWhy do some children succeed while others fail?

The story we usually tell about childhood and success is the one about intelligence: Success comes to those who score highest on tests, from preschool admissions to SATs.

But in "How Children Succeed," Paul Tough argues for a very different understanding of what makes a successful child. Drawing on groundbreaking research in neuroscience, economics, and psychology, Tough shows that the qualities that matter most have less to do with IQ and more to do with character: skills like grit, curiosity, conscientiousness, and optimism.

"How Children Succeed" introduces us to a new generation of scientists and educators who are radically changing our understanding of how children develop character, how they learn to think, and how they overcome adversity. It tells the personal stories of young people struggling to say on the right side of the line between success and failure. And it argues for a new way of thinking about how best to steer an individual child – or a whole generation of children – toward a successful future.

This provocative and profoundly hopeful book will not only inspire and engage readers; it will also change our understanding of childhood itself. -Goodreads
Food for thought:
“The part of the brain most affected by early stress is the prefrontal cortex, which is critical in self-regulatory activities of all kinds, both emotional and cognitive. As a result, children who grow up in stressful environments generally find it harder to concentrate, harder to sit still, harder to rebound from disappointments, and harder to follow directions. And that has a direct effect on their performance in school.” ― Paul Tough, How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character

Resources:


Six Must See TED Talks from 2013:  Click Here

Six Must See TED Talks from 2013:  Click Here

How to Foster Grit in the Classroom:  Click Here

True Grit: The Best Measure of Success and How to Teach It:  Click Here

‘How Children Succeed’ — Q&A with Paul Tough:  Click Here

One Little Word℠ Introductory Video:  Click Here

NPR: MacArthur 'Genius' On Grit, Self Control And Success: Click Here

NPR: Is Having Grit The Key To Success?  Click Here

Grit Angela Duckworth's TED Talk:  Click Here

Happy Reading 
The Things You Can Read!
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Sunday, January 12, 2014

How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character by Paul Tough: Review Part 1



How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character by Paul Tough

“What matters most in a child's development, they say, is not how much information we can stuff into her brain in the first few years. What matters, instead, is whether we are able to help her develop a very different set of qualities, a list that includes persistence, self-control, curiosity, conscientiousness, grit and self-confidence.” Paul Tough, How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character

As I posted earlier, I chose to read How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character as one of my first two reads of 2014.  Why?  Because this book fits into my quest to not only be a better parent, but to also be a better teacher, which is a direct result of  having joined a growing movement called One Little Word℠.  This movement has its participants choose a word that will guide them as they journey throughout the year.  My word is BECOMING and in my year of focus on BECOMING this nonfiction book is a  perfect fit (Click Here for more information).  As I stated earlier this particular book has been on my radar for awhile, but when one of my favorite sites to visit out there on the Internet, Brain Pickings, had it listed on their best of list for 2013, it moved up to the top of the pile.  I am now about 40 percent done, however I realized I was highlighting so much information that I needed to break up my review into parts, so here is part one. 

PART ONE:

Let me setup my remarks with a personal anecdote, when my twins were born back in  2010, one of our nurses noticed how much my husband was holding our son.  Each and every time our new baby cried his father picked him up, and this medical professional sternly reprimanded us saying that our son would be "spoiled rotten" if we continued to respond to his every cry.  Well, we both totally disagreed with what she said, but we had nothing to base our intuitive feelings with regard to her advice, and her comment always stuck with us.  My husband and I, on occasion, remember that moment when we reminisce about the twins birth  This shared parenting moment came flooding back, in what some might call an "aha moment", while reading this book.  Specific research performed by Ainsworth and Bowlby was sited that proved what my husband and I had known instinctually:

Babies whose parents responded readily and fully to their cries in the first month of life were at one year, more independent and intrepid than babies whose parents had ignored their cries. In preschool, the pattern continued-the children whose parents had responded most sensitively to their emotional needs as infants were the most self-reliant. Warm, sensitive parental care, Ainsworth and Bowlby contended, created a 'secure base' from which a child could explore the word."-How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character by Paul Tough
 After reading this I felt vindicated as a parent for not letting someone disrupt the positive bond my husband and I were establishing with our son during his first days of life, and the best part was that we had research on our side, and didn't even know it.  This is only one such gem that can be found inside the covers of this book.  As I said there is so much information to be discussed and shared I have broken it down into smaller chucks in the hopes that folks will actually read and digest some of these findings.  Check back as I continue to update you on my reflections with regard to this amazing book. 

SIDE NOTE

How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character also led me to seek out other books which were mentioned in the text.  I have, of course, added several of them to my list of To Be Read boks on Goodreads for further reading during my year of BECOMING.  An example of the books mentioned include Learned Optimism by Martin Seligman, a leading scholar on the subject of positive psychology.  Check it out if my comments have sparked an interest in this topic.


Part Two of my review/reflection will cover the idea of Grit and its importance to a child's success.  If you are interested in testing your own Grit Level take Angela Duckworth's GRIT Survey:  Click Here to get a feel for what Grit is all about.  Also check out my post of Angela's TED talk on GRIT at my sister site The Writing WhisperingsClick Here.


As I said, How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character was featured in an article entitled "The 13 Best Psychology and Philosophy Books of 2013" on Brain Pickings.  How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character is helping me to demystify what makes one child successful and another not. It has certainly given me clarity on the issue of how or why certain children succeed.  I have included an excerpt from the article from Brain Pickings. Read on...and if this is something that makes you go Humm...then click on over to read Brain Pickings full article or better yet pick up the book from your local bookstore or library.

"In How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character (public library) – a necessary addition to these fantastic reads on education – Paul Tough, whose writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Slate, Esquire, The New York Times, sets out to investigate the essential building blocks of character through the findings and practical insight of exceptional educators and bleeding-edge researchers. One of his core arguments is based on the work of pioneering psychologist and 2013 MacArthur "genius" grantee Angela Duckworth, who studied under positive psychology godfather Martin Seligman at my alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, and has done more than anyone for advancing our understanding of how self-control and grit – the relentless work ethic of sustaining your commitments toward a long-term goal – impact success."-BRAIN PICKINGS

Summary:
How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of CharacterWhy do some children succeed while others fail?

The story we usually tell about childhood and success is the one about intelligence: Success comes to those who score highest on tests, from preschool admissions to SATs.

But in "How Children Succeed," Paul Tough argues for a very different understanding of what makes a successful child. Drawing on groundbreaking research in neuroscience, economics, and psychology, Tough shows that the qualities that matter most have less to do with IQ and more to do with character: skills like grit, curiosity, conscientiousness, and optimism.

"How Children Succeed" introduces us to a new generation of scientists and educators who are radically changing our understanding of how children develop character, how they learn to think, and how they overcome adversity. It tells the personal stories of young people struggling to say on the right side of the line between success and failure. And it argues for a new way of thinking about how best to steer an individual child – or a whole generation of children – toward a successful future.

This provocative and profoundly hopeful book will not only inspire and engage readers; it will also change our understanding of childhood itself. -Goodreads


Six Must See TED Talks from 2013:  Click Here

How to Foster Grit in the Classroom:  Click Here

‘How Children Succeed’ — Q&A with Paul Tough:  Click Here

True Grit: The Best Measure of Success and How to Teach It:  Click Here

One Little Word℠ Introductory Video:  Click Here

One Little Word℠ Word List: Click Here 

Grit Angela Duckworth's TED Talk:  Click Here

Happy Reading 
The Things You Can Read!
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Monday, January 6, 2014

Another Most Read for 2014: Readicide by Kelly Gallagher.

I know some of you may have read my post from yesterday, but for those who missed it bear with me here, there is a reason I have posted a portion of it again today...
After allowing the new year to get a foothold, I've been doing some thinking, this thinking usually takes place when my children are napping, I decided, after some careful reflection, to pick a theme for 2014.  This idea came about after taking a hard look at my rather lengthy To Be Read (TBR) Pile.  After an analysis of the various and sundry titles, I discovered that a huge number of the books that lay waiting for me to read them had a connection, and that connection had to do with means by which I might change or improve.  Thus, the theme that I decided on is based on this revelation is BECOMING.  What does that mean exactly?  Well, I'm looking for methodologies/teachings that I can incorporate in my life to become the best parent, teacher, blogger, etc. that I can be--in other words, I'm looking for new concepts/ideas to improve in each of the roles I have taken on in my life.
It was not until after I had posted this reflection yesterday that I discovered One Little Word℠.  Thanks to Book Journey  and Sophisticated Dorkiness for making me aware of this long standing tradition, I had no idea existed.  It looks like what I thought of as an original idea is a big misnomer.  After reading up on  One Little Word℠,  I decided to join the group.  So, look for this idea of BECOMING to be a continuous thread throughout the years posting.

And, to that end, here is another reading suggestion for all those educators and parents out there who might be looking for ideas that will help them guide their child's reading development.  Readicide by Kelly Gallagher, "...provides teachers, literacy coaches, and administrators with specific steps to reverse the downward spiral in reading—steps that will help prevent the loss of another generation of readers."  Read the summary below and let us know if this is a book that might help you BECOME a reading advocate in someone's life in 2014!



Summary:
Readicide by Kelly Gallagher

Read-i-cide n: The systematic killing of the love of reading, often exacerbated by the inane, mind-numbing practices found in schools. Reading is dying in our schools. Educators are familiar with many of the factors that have contributed to the decline—poverty, second-language issues, and the ever-expanding choices of electronic entertainment. In this provocative new book, Kelly Gallagher suggests, however, that it is time to recognize a new and significant contributor to the death of reading: our schools. In Readicide, Kelly argues that American schools are actively (though unwittingly) furthering the decline of reading. Specifically, he contends that the standard instructional practices used in most schools are killing reading by: · valuing the development of test-takers over the development of lifelong readers; · mandating breadth over depth in instruction; · requiring students to read difficult texts without proper instructional support; · insisting that students focus solely on academic texts; · drowning great books with sticky notes, double-entry journals, and marginalia; · ignoring the importance of developing recreational reading; and · losing sight of authentic instruction in the shadow of political pressures. Kelly doesn’t settle for only identifying the problems. Readicide provides teachers, literacy coaches, and administrators with specific steps to reverse the downward spiral in reading—steps that will help prevent the loss of another generation of readers.
 
What are your thoughts on One Little Word℠  The Things You Can Read would love to hear from you, our readers.  Let us know your thoughts.  Feel free to post a comment!
Happy Reading 
The Things You Can Read!
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Sunday, January 5, 2014

A Suggestion for the NEW YEAR: A Calendar of Wisdom by Leo Tolstoy


After allowing the New Year to get a foothold, I've been doing some thinking, this thinking takes place when my children are napping, I decided, after some careful reflection, to pick a theme for 2014. This idea came about after taking a hard look at my rather lengthy To Be Read (TBR) Pile. Upon my analysis of the various and sundry titles, I discovered that a huge number of the books that lay waiting for me to read them had a connection, and that connection had to do with subject matter. Specifically sharing information that I consider means by which I might change or improve. Thus, the theme that I decided on based on this revelation is BECOMING. What does that mean exactly? Well, I'm looking for methodologies/teachings that I can incorporate in my life to become the best parent, teacher, blogger, etc. that I can be--in other words, I'm looking for new concepts/ideas to improve in each of the roles I have taken on in my life. To that end, here is a suggestion for all those readers out there who might be looking for something they can read all year long. It is a book that has been around for quite a few years, but it’s fairly "new to me" A Calendar of Wisdom: Daily Thoughts to Nourish the Soul by Leo Tolstoy. Why this book? Here is my why, "...A Calendar of Wisdom is a day-by-day guide that illuminates the path of a life worth living with a brightness undimmed by time." I am also hopeful it will help me to define who I want to be as I move forward. The wisdom contained in its pages will give me perspective and allow me to persevere in my quest to BECOME. So far, so good, I've been enjoying each entry, and thus far, I feel I have gained something from each one. Each day has a theme, which is varied, and offers some tidbit(s) to make you think, just what I need in my year of BECOMING.

Summary:
This is the first-ever English-language edition of the book Leo Tolstoy considered to be his most important contribution to humanity, the work of his life's last years. Widely read in prerevolutionary Russia, banned and forgotten under Communism; and recently rediscovered to great excitement, A Calendar of Wisdom is a day-by-day guide that illuminates the path of a life worth living with a brightness undimmed by time. Unjustly censored for nearly a century, it deserves to be placed with the few books in our history that will never cease teaching us the essence of what is important in this world.-Goodreads



Partial Sample from January 1 Entry
"Read the best books first, otherwise you'll find you do not have time."-Henry David Thoreau

Does this look like a read for you?  Let us know what you think here at The Things You Can Read.

Happy Reading 
The Things You Can Read!
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!


Saturday, January 4, 2014

How to Escape Education's Death Valley: Ken Robinson




 
If you have not heard of Sir Ken Robinson, you are really missing out, he is the author of The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything and Finding Your Element: How to Discover Your Talents and Passions and Transform Your Life.  I highly recommend both books, and if you have never heard him speak, what he has to say is truly worth listening to, and here is his latest TED Talk.
      
SUMMARY:

Sir Ken Robinson outlines 3 principles crucial for the human mind to flourish -- and how current education culture works against them. In a funny, stirring talk he tells us how to get out of the educational "death valley" we now face, and how to nurture our youngest generations with a climate of possibility.

Creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson challenges the way we're educating our children. He champions a radical rethink of our school systems, to cultivate creativity and acknowledge multiple types of intelligence-TED Talks
 
 
“ The dropout crisis is just the tip of an iceberg. What it doesn't count are all the kids who are in school but being disengaged from it, who don't enjoy it, who don't get any real benefit from it."-Ken Robinson
 
Ken Robinson

Ken Robinson

Ken Robinson: How to escape education's death valley
 
Have you heard of Ken Robinson?  What do you think of his ideas?  I'm a firm believer in his work/message and I'm trying to make a difference in my classroom and in the lives of my own children keeping his teachings in mind.  Let us know what you think here at The Things You Can Read.
 
Happy Reading
The Things You Can Read!
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!
 

Friday, January 3, 2014

3 Steps to Reading Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger


3 Steps to Reading Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger


  1. Don’t Do All Your Reading in Bed
  2. Find Your Best Format
  3. Carve Out Your Reading Time, Then Protect It
Book Riot shared these three steps to reading harder, better, faster, and stronger in their post.  If you are interested in reading the full article  Click Here.

What are your thoughts on Reading Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger?  Let us know here at The Things You Can Read!

Happy Reading 
The Things You Can Read!
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Thursday, January 2, 2014

National Ambassador for Young People's Literature: Kate DiCamillo

 
Kate DiCamillo's made a big announcement today, which was her  impending two-year appointment as National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. Kate DiCamillo is the author of Because of Winn-Dixie, and she has been chosen to serve as the fourth National Ambassador for Young People's Literature.
 
 
When we read together—when a grandfather reads to a granddaughter, when a teacher reads to a classroom, when a parent reads to a child, when a sister reads to a brother, when everyone in a town reads the same book silently, together—we are taken out of our aloneness. Together, we see the world. Together, we see one another. We connect. And when we connect, we are changed.” — Kate DiCamillo
"It wasn't until my fifth or sixth book where I realized I'm trying to do the same thing in every story I tell, which is bring everybody together in the same room. That's the same thing that I want here: to get as many different people into the room as I can. I don't know that I will resonate with a particular group of kids, but I want to get as many kids and as many adults together reading as I can."--Kate DiCamillo speaking with the New York Times about her impending two-year appointment as national ambassador for young people's literature.-Self Awareness

New York Times Article:  Click Here

What do you think of the new National Ambassador for Young People's Literature?  Let us know here at The Things You Can Read!

Happy Reading
The Things You Can Read!
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

The First Book of the Year: 2014

 
This year I have decided to join Book Journey in the tradition of picking the book(s) that I will be reading into the new year.  According to Book Journey the book can be any of the following:
It can be a coveted book that you have been waiting to read, a guilty pleasure book, a re-read of a favorite that you want to explore once again… whatever you want.
I have decided that my pick(s) are in the nonfiction genre, which is odd for me because I see myself as more of a fiction reader.  However, in the past few years, I have been gravitating more and more to nonfiction.  The older I get the more I want to know, and that often means learning that something through nonfiction.   

 
 
Summary:
 
THE REAL PURPOSE OF PARENTING is a series of stories and life lessons from the world of a therapist, known as The Parent Coach. Very well-intentioned, well meaning parents are at the point of crisis with their kids because their own best parenting efforts are NOT producing the children they want them to be. And there, according to Dr. Phil Dembo, lies the problem. In THE REAL PURPOSE OF PARENTING, even the best parents are capable of smothering the growth of their kid's life. This can happen because the truth of who the child is, and what the child truly needs is often overlooked or ignored in the agenda that many parents lay out for their kids. Thus...often landing the family in a colossal melt down.  Dr. Dembo shows simple family "turn around" strategies that reframe the real purpose of parenting and gives each family, and child their own salvation.-Goodreads
 
WHY:
 
I am on a quest to be a better parent.  I came to parenting late, and in the past five years of marriage, I am now the parent of four children (twins, a singleton, and one-on-the-way-March 2014).  A few things have quickly become self-evident, first, until you have children you shouldn't  sit in judgment of parents and their parenting style (I have always rated high on the judging scale).  Second, each child is different, and needs different things from each of his/her parents.  Third, because each child is so different, you can't allow yourself  to think that what you do for one child means that you love that child more or less, it just means that that child needs what you are providing and the others don't.  Finally, my children are not going to be the children that I envisioned in my imagination, and that is perfectly okay, they are real individuals, and I have to go with who they are, not what I imagined they would be.  These are all hard learned lessons, and this book will hopefully cement these truths in my brain and help me be the parent I want to be.

 
 
 Summary:
 
How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of CharacterWhy do some children succeed while others fail?

The story we usually tell about childhood and success is the one about intelligence: Success comes to those who score highest on tests, from preschool admissions to SATs.

But in "How Children Succeed," Paul Tough argues for a very different understanding of what makes a successful child. Drawing on groundbreaking research in neuroscience, economics, and psychology, Tough shows that the qualities that matter most have less to do with IQ and more to do with character: skills like grit, curiosity, conscientiousness, and optimism.

"How Children Succeed" introduces us to a new generation of scientists and educators who are radically changing our understanding of how children develop character, how they learn to think, and how they overcome adversity. It tells the personal stories of young people struggling to say on the right side of the line between success and failure. And it argues for a new way of thinking about how best to steer an individual child – or a whole generation of children – toward a successful future.

This provocative and profoundly hopeful book will not only inspire and engage readers; it will also change our understanding of childhood itself. -Goodreads
 
WHY:

This book also fits into my quest to not only be a better parent, but to also be a better teacher.  I had this one on my radar for awhile, but when one of my favorite sites to visit out there on the Internet, Brain Pickings, had it on their best of list for 2013, it moved up to the top of the pile.
 
I am always in awe at how much information just one person is able to decipher, and then publish in a meaningful publication in one weeks time, but Maria Popova of Brain Pickings does it week after week. If you have never visited Brain Pickings, I can't recommend this site highly enough. After a visit to Brain Pickings I always learn something, which is a good thing! 
 
As I said, a few weeks ago, one of the books featured in an article entitled "The 13 Best Psychology and Philosophy Books of 2013" was one that I have been interested in reading, How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character. I am always mystified, as both a teacher and parent, at what makes one child successful and another not. I hope to gain some clarity on the issue after reading this one.  Below is an excerpt from the article. Read on...and if this is something that makes you go Humm...then click on over to read Brain Pickings full article or better yet pick up the book from your local bookstore or library.

"In How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character (public library) – a necessary addition to these fantastic reads on education – Paul Tough, whose writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Slate, Esquire, The New York Times, sets out to investigate the essential building blocks of character through the findings and practical insight of exceptional educators and bleeding-edge researchers. One of his core arguments is based on the work of pioneering psychologist and 2013 MacArthur "genius" grantee Angela Duckworth, who studied under positive psychology godfather Martin Seligman at my alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, and has done more than anyone for advancing our understanding of how self-control and grit – the relentless work ethic of sustaining your commitments toward a long-term goal – impact success."-BRAIN PICKINGS
 
These are the two books that I will be reading into 2014.  I'll report back on how they went, and what I learned some time in the first few months of the new year!
 
http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/2013/12/06/first-book-of-the-year-2014/
 
Happy New Year to all!
 


Of all sound of all bells... most solemn and touching is the peal which rings out the Old Year.-Charles Lamb

 

 Happy Reading
The Things You Can Read!
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Happy New Year 2014


 
"I think in terms of the day's resolutions, not the years'."-Henry Moore
 
Happy New Year!
From,
The Things You Can Read
 
“Good resolutions are useless attempts to interfere with scientific laws. Their origin is pure vanity.  Their result is absolutely nil.”-The Picture of Dorian Gray
 


“Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.” -J.R.R. Tolkien

 photo ab03083b-eadd-49c5-a105-33b01c505bf0_zps122096b8.png
 
Happy Reading
The Things You Can Read!
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!


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