How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character - Paperback

by Paul Tough (Author)

"A persuasive wake-up call."--People

Why 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. In How Children Succeed, Paul Tough argues that success has more to do with character--a set of noncognitive skills that includes perseverance, curiosity, optimism, and self-control. In this groundbreaking study grounded in psychology and neuroscience, Tough introduces us to key researchers and educators, who, for the first time, are using the tools of science to peel back the mysteries of character. Through their stories--and the stories of the children they are trying to help--Tough reveals how developing character strengths like grit has the power to transform young people's lives. This provocative and profoundly hopeful book will not only inspire and engage readers--it will also change our understanding of childhood itself.

Why is our modern focus on test scores and IQ failing so many children--and what does the science of child development say we should be focusing on instead?

• The Character Hypothesis: An exploration of why qualities like perseverance, curiosity, and self-control are more predictive of long-term success than IQ scores from preschool to the SATs.
• The Science of Stress: A look at the groundbreaking neuroscience revealing how childhood adversity shapes the developing brain, and how nurturing relationships can reverse the damage.
• How Character is Built: From the classrooms of innovative schools to the labs of leading psychologists, discover how traits like grit and self-discipline are not born, but made.
• Rethinking Education: A new roadmap for parents and educators that moves beyond the achievement gap and focuses on creating environments where all children can thrive.

Back Jacket

Drop the flashcards grit, character, and curiosity matter even more than cognitive skills. A persuasive wake-up call. "People"
Why 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 that the qualities that matter more have to do with character: skills like perseverance, curiosity, optimism, and self-control.
"How Children Succeed" introduces us to a new generation of researchers and educators, who, for the first time, are using the tools of science to peel back the mysteries of character. Through their stories and the stories of the children they are trying to help Tough reveals how this new knowledge can transform young people s lives. He uncovers the surprising ways in which parents do and do not prepare their children for adulthood. And he provides us with new insights into how to improve the lives of children growing up in poverty. This provocative and profoundly hopeful book will not only inspire and engage readers, it will also change our understanding of childhood itself.
Illuminates the extremes of American childhood: for rich kids, a safety net drawn so tight it s a harness; for poor kids, almost nothing to break their fall. "New York Times"
I learned so much reading this book and I came away full of hope about how we can make life better for all kinds of kids. "Slate"
PAUL TOUGH is the author of "Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada s Quest to Change Harlem and America." He has written about education, child development, and poverty in "The New Yorker" and in cover stories for the "New York Times Magazine," where he is a contributing writer. His journalism has also appeared in "Slate," "GQ," and "Esquire," and on "This American Life." Learn more at www.paultough.com or follow him on Twitter: @PaulTough.
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Author Biography

PAUL TOUGH is the author of Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada's Quest to Change Harlem and America. He has written extensively about education, child development, and poverty in cover stories for the New York Times Magazine, and in The New Yorker, Slate, GQ, Esquire, and the New York Times.