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Motivated Minds: Raising Children to Love Learning
A practical guide to ensuring your child's success in school.
What makes children succeed in school? For the past twenty years, the focus has been on building children's self-esteem to help them achieve more in the classoom. But positive reinforcement hasn't necessarily resulted in measureable academic improvement. Through extensive research, combined with ongoing classroom implementation of their ideas, Deborah Stipek, Dean of the School of Education at Stanford, and Kathy Seal have created a program that will encourage motivation and a love of learning in children from toddlerhood through elementary school.
Stipek and Seal maintain that parents and teachers can build a solid foundation for learning by helping children to develop the key elements of success: competency, autonomy, curiosity, and critical relationships. The authors offer both practical advice on understanding different learning styles and down-to-earth tips about how to manage difficult issues -- competition, grades, praise, bribes, and rewards -- that inevitably arise for parents and teachers.
Most important, Stipek and Seal help parents create an enriching environment for their children at home that will mesh with the school experience and become a positive, effective climate for learning.
What makes children succeed in school? For the past twenty years, the focus has been on building children's self-esteem to help them achieve more in the classoom. But positive reinforcement hasn't necessarily resulted in measureable academic improvement. Through extensive research, combined with ongoing classroom implementation of their ideas, Deborah Stipek, Dean of the School of Education at Stanford, and Kathy Seal have created a program that will encourage motivation and a love of learning in children from toddlerhood through elementary school.
Stipek and Seal maintain that parents and teachers can build a solid foundation for learning by helping children to develop the key elements of success: competency, autonomy, curiosity, and critical relationships. The authors offer both practical advice on understanding different learning styles and down-to-earth tips about how to manage difficult issues -- competition, grades, praise, bribes, and rewards -- that inevitably arise for parents and teachers.
Most important, Stipek and Seal help parents create an enriching environment for their children at home that will mesh with the school experience and become a positive, effective climate for learning.
230 pages, Paperback
First published April 18, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 7, 2011
This book focuses on one problem with which our society is currently struggling: a lack of motivation among learners and a willingness to settle for "okay" or to take the easy route. As has been pointed out in many other publications, this bodes rather ill for the future of society--and for those who love learning, it's just downright depressing.
The authors of this book provide recommendations on fostering a love of learning from the beginning. They point out common ways we unthinkingly focus children's thoughts on performance rather than process, and they provide tips for changing children's thinking and giving opportunities for exploration. While I see the cover text that touts this as "A practical guide to ensuring your child's success in school" as a bit of a gimmick that seems to go against the message of the book, I did find the book to have helpful insights in regard to its title topic.
The authors of this book provide recommendations on fostering a love of learning from the beginning. They point out common ways we unthinkingly focus children's thoughts on performance rather than process, and they provide tips for changing children's thinking and giving opportunities for exploration. While I see the cover text that touts this as "A practical guide to ensuring your child's success in school" as a bit of a gimmick that seems to go against the message of the book, I did find the book to have helpful insights in regard to its title topic.
October 2, 2011
I am constantly reading books to try to find ways to develop some level of intrinsic motivation in one of my kids. This had some good, practical suggestions of things to do (and not to do). I really liked how it made the connection between having a good, loving relationship with your child and having them feel comfortable making mistakes. My son is a perfectionist, and even though he is very smart, he often doesn't challenge himself because he is afraid to make a mistake. I liked the chapter about being born smart versus getting smart through hard work. Also the chapter about rewards and incentives. I totally agree with the idea that rewarding kids for learning takes all the fun of it away from them.
August 10, 2011
It is hard for me to rate self-help books about three stars when comparing them to my usual reads. I suppose if I put it in it's proper category, I would rate it four stars. This book was recommended to me by D.J.'s teacher, and I'm glad she did. It helped me rethink how I help my children learn. How do I use incentives, how to I help or hinder their self-esteem, how do I employ tough love, how do I help them learn lessons by themselves, and so on. I read it mostly over eating breakfast and such, so I didn't take notes or anything, but it came at a good time to re-evalute some of our parenting methods for each child.
March 22, 2018
Highly recommend to parents. Lots of practical strategies and examples. Loved the extra section at the back with tips on what to look our for in selecting schools.
November 8, 2011
I felt so pumped up when reading the first half of this book but I was slightly disappointed in the ending. I felt like Stipek became overly vague and to much of generalist. But I still did gain quite a few new tools for my parenting toolbox.
October 8, 2008
a great guide to helping your kids have a positive attitude toward school. and a greatreminder that children's brains don't work like ours. it is helping me with my kindergartener and my infant.
September 1, 2012
Wow! This book should be required reading for every parent and educator! Based on research, but easy to read!
February 16, 2016
Good rethink on how to help kids love learning and be less focused on grades and rewards and the myth of inborn intelligence.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews