This exciting book by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman caught my eye recently and contained three themes, in particular, that are quite relevant to our work with kids in school and at home.
Praise effort: Much of traditional school has centered around achievement. Bronson and Merryman make the argument that scientific research suggests praising effort is every bit as important praising achievement. In fact, as a predictor of future success, students who were more actively praised for effort were ultimately more successful.
Encourage more sleep: Bronson and Merryman cite a nationwide study of over 10,000 high school students providing clear evidence on the importance of getting enough sleep. A comparative study of sleep patterns and grades showed that teens who received “A’s” got an average of 15 more minutes of sleep per night than students who received “B’s” and so on with “C’s” and “D’s." The message, a little sleep goes along way.
Accept disappointment: The authors note significant research that suggests shielding kids from disappointment at a young age can have detrimental results. In fact, it is clear from the world of neuroscience, that disappointment and the subsequent lessons learned from disappointing experiences can have a profound effect on brain development.
Praise effort: Much of traditional school has centered around achievement. Bronson and Merryman make the argument that scientific research suggests praising effort is every bit as important praising achievement. In fact, as a predictor of future success, students who were more actively praised for effort were ultimately more successful.
Encourage more sleep: Bronson and Merryman cite a nationwide study of over 10,000 high school students providing clear evidence on the importance of getting enough sleep. A comparative study of sleep patterns and grades showed that teens who received “A’s” got an average of 15 more minutes of sleep per night than students who received “B’s” and so on with “C’s” and “D’s." The message, a little sleep goes along way.
Accept disappointment: The authors note significant research that suggests shielding kids from disappointment at a young age can have detrimental results. In fact, it is clear from the world of neuroscience, that disappointment and the subsequent lessons learned from disappointing experiences can have a profound effect on brain development.