The Incredible Teenage Brain: Everything You Need to Know to Unlock Your Teen's Potential

by Bettina Hohnen, Jane Gilmour, Tara Murphy

Written by a team of leading clinical psychologists, this straightforward book walks the reader through the workings of the teenage brain. Pulling together the latest research, from brain imaging techniques to studies of teen behaviour, the authors provide an invaluable framework for parents, teachers and professionals to understand how teenagers learn.

Uniquely, the authors provide a manual with clear strategies for what to do to support teens based on findings from neuroscience and psychology. They show that good relationships and communication are the bedrocks of supporting teens to develop, learn and grow. They also highlight the importance of individual and learning differences, mental health, and a growth mindset, as part of the over-arching theoretical framework of the book. A must read for anyone supporting young people.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Psychology

352 pages, Paperback

Published October 21, 2019

Reviews

[Pam Devine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating. As a mother of two pre-teens I enjoyed a chance to read a book which was positive about teenagers. Especially if interest were chapters on neurodiversity and communication. I'll be dipping in and out of this for years to come.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

The Incredible Teenage Brain has an underlying philosophy: putting a positive spin on the teenage years by reminding parents that although teens are frustrating, it is a part of their biological and physical maturation and development into a self sufficient human being. Eschewing the usual derogatory "teen behavior!", the authors would like parents to understand their child's behaviors and then provide an approach that achieves the best possible outcome to difficult situations. It's a reminder that teens are at the height of their learning potential and so we need to ensure these years are productive for them.

The book is divided into five parts, each meant to help parents understand the various aspects of teen mental development. Part 1 is an overview of the adolescent brain and it's learning machine. The teen brain is broken down into easy-to-understand descriptions and parents are given a broader understanding of how the teen brain thinks, learns, and feels. Part 2 is an exploration of teens with additional needs, such as those with mental health issues or have difficulties learning. Part 3 is about understanding teen brain priorities and how best to manage them to keep teens learning, happy, and safe. This explores especially peers and social situations. Part 4 is about caring for your teen - from sleep to conflicts, and balancing life, school, and social demands. Part 5 is about parents and their role in developing their children.

Each chapter also has a specific format that includes call-outs (each with their own icon): a section that condenses the info for quick reference, a section about the science, taking the science and translating it for the teen, how to implement the info on a day-to-day basis, how to ensure continuous learning every day for school and home, where to take the information learning in that chapter next, a case study or two, and then action points on how parents can be proactive with the information in the chapter.

Truth be told, I did find the above call-outs to be fairly repetitive. Not surprising since the authors emphasized that repetition is the key to learning. But the approach/philosophy of the book is about a) being positive about the teen years and b) making the book easy-to-digest for parents. As such, there are a lot of small paragraphs and chipper talk condensing and explaining, then repeating.

If you don't mind the repetition, there is a lot of information in the book, including many specific examples of how not to and how to approach common situations you'll find yourself in with your growing teen. It's like a "choose your own adventure as a parent raising a teen' where you can either succeed, fail, or just muck on depending on the choices you make as situations arise.

So yes, you'll find a lot useful here; not the least of which is an opportunity to look at raising a teen in a positive light and ensure the experience these key years bring is rewarding for both child and parent. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Karlina Ivane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jauka, ar mīlestību un cieņu pret tīņiem sarakstīta grāmatiņa, kas balstīta zinātnisko pētījumu atziņās.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read and I've read several books related to the same topic. This has been my favorite by far. My daughter is now 13, and I've been using some of the techniques discussed in the book. What a difference! Part of the change has not been from her, but from myself as a parent as I try to understand what she's going thru and how her mind works. We easily forget that we were once teenagers and went through the same drama (or so we thought was drama). She's easily upset, happy, moody, and now I know why. Instead of asking her why she feels that way, I first tell myself to put myself in her shoes. Thanks to the author, I loved it!

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could have been better edited. Some of the chapters are obvious and won’t be a revelation to parents of teens. Useful for learning the neuroscience that motivates behaviour.

[Kinga Nowak · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,75☆
Mega mid

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

#TheIncredibleTeenageBrain
#Edelweiss
#E-arc

[jack mehof]

Wonderful book

I have learnt so much about this period of brain development and what it is going on for our teens. I am so grateful