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Teaching Kids to Thrive: Essential Skills for Success
There’s more to student success than standards and test scores…
The modern view of student achievement focuses on high test scores, higher standards, and racing to the top. Thrive skills fit with new ESSA requirements to go beyond basic academic measurements in order to equip students for lifelong success.
Debbie Silver and Dedra Stafford present a practical handbook that guides teachers and parents in fostering learners who are socially and emotionally healthy and prepared to undertake future challenges. Through practical examples, precise strategies, and specific tools this book demonstrates how to empower learners in areas that
Using mindfulness strategies to help students tap their inner strengths
Learning to self-regulate and control other executive brain functions
Developing growth mindsets along with perseverance and resilience
Cultivating a sense of responsibility, honesty, and integrity
Encouraging a capacity for empathy and gratitude Grounded in decades of psychological research, Teaching Kids to Thrive merges academic, social, and self-skills to stimulate personal and school achievement.
The modern view of student achievement focuses on high test scores, higher standards, and racing to the top. Thrive skills fit with new ESSA requirements to go beyond basic academic measurements in order to equip students for lifelong success.
Debbie Silver and Dedra Stafford present a practical handbook that guides teachers and parents in fostering learners who are socially and emotionally healthy and prepared to undertake future challenges. Through practical examples, precise strategies, and specific tools this book demonstrates how to empower learners in areas that
Using mindfulness strategies to help students tap their inner strengths
Learning to self-regulate and control other executive brain functions
Developing growth mindsets along with perseverance and resilience
Cultivating a sense of responsibility, honesty, and integrity
Encouraging a capacity for empathy and gratitude Grounded in decades of psychological research, Teaching Kids to Thrive merges academic, social, and self-skills to stimulate personal and school achievement.
264 pages, Paperback
Published May 9, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 8, 2019
The best book I have ever read on understanding WHY my students are doing what they are doing and how to help them achieve more.
November 29, 2017
Mindfulness is the big, new hot topic in education right now (well, in all areas of life), but it's actually based on ancient practices. How do we help students regulate their behaviors through focused attention and mindfulness? You've probably seen a few videos on schools replacing detention with yoga and on schools using breathing techniques with students.
These ideas are neurological and science-based. There's a section on the brain and its executive functions, and this information helps to put everything else into perspective. Written in layman's terms, each chapter includes research, sidebars, short case studies, strategies, questions and answers, exercises, and discussion questions. The set-up is perfect for a group read because it leads discussions around each topic.
This is not about asking teachers to be therapists. It's about offering activities that teach students to be present and to demonstrate personal integrity, responsibility, honesty, empathy, and resiliency, and growth mindset. I am especially pleased with the information on growth mindset and how to teach it (think of the children's story "The Little Engine That Could"):
• ensure all learners get a chance to think
• maximize formative assessment
• value risk taking
• incorporate the power of YET
• teach that mistakes are learning opportunities
• normalize the struggle
I liked the case study of one school that had teacher role play a day in the life of a student. I also liked the comments about the necessity of teachers following the same rules we ask the students to follow. Think cell phone policy, making it to class on time, swearing, dress code, etc. If we model to students that we can pick and choose the rules we want to follow, what are we teaching our students?
This book is very helpful, has a great format, offers concrete examples and strategies, and never patronizes the reader.
These ideas are neurological and science-based. There's a section on the brain and its executive functions, and this information helps to put everything else into perspective. Written in layman's terms, each chapter includes research, sidebars, short case studies, strategies, questions and answers, exercises, and discussion questions. The set-up is perfect for a group read because it leads discussions around each topic.
This is not about asking teachers to be therapists. It's about offering activities that teach students to be present and to demonstrate personal integrity, responsibility, honesty, empathy, and resiliency, and growth mindset. I am especially pleased with the information on growth mindset and how to teach it (think of the children's story "The Little Engine That Could"):
• ensure all learners get a chance to think
• maximize formative assessment
• value risk taking
• incorporate the power of YET
• teach that mistakes are learning opportunities
• normalize the struggle
I liked the case study of one school that had teacher role play a day in the life of a student. I also liked the comments about the necessity of teachers following the same rules we ask the students to follow. Think cell phone policy, making it to class on time, swearing, dress code, etc. If we model to students that we can pick and choose the rules we want to follow, what are we teaching our students?
This book is very helpful, has a great format, offers concrete examples and strategies, and never patronizes the reader.
April 17, 2020
As a college student majoring in education, this book is pretty valuable. This book focuses on the critical relationships between teachers and students- primarily focusing on what WE, as teachers, can do in order to help our students reach their full potential. The book has 9 chapters that each discuss certain elements. Overall, the book is pretty informative, but was a little boring at times. I recommend for any aspiring teachers to read this book. Remember: creating a positive relationship with your students will do wonders for you as an educator! If you show them respect, you will receive respect!
July 10, 2020
Such a timely and important book! It has tons of excellent resources for SEL in the classroom. You can read chapters in isolation, if desired. Each chapter has several activities ideas that can be used in classrooms, PK-12. The chapters are about mindfulness, executive function, growth mindset, perseverance, resilience, responsibility, integrity, empathy, and gratitude. It is written from a secular point of view and is appropriate for public schools. This site also has additional resources: https://www.teachingkidstothrive.com/.
December 10, 2018
A great book for educators that teach students resiliency and how to manage their own frustrations. This book has some ready to try classroom activities that help build team work and cooperative learning. Makes a great book study for teachers or campuses.
July 5, 2019
Teaching Kids to Thrive is a great resource for anyone that is involved with kids. As a teacher it made me think of new ways to bring in some of these suggested activities. I can't wait to start using what I learned through this book.
August 23, 2021
Great resource for a classroom teacher.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews