How Children Succeed, Paul Tough

Perfect name for this author.

How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character
Author: Paul Tough
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012
ISBN: 9780547564654
Nonfiction: discussing the importance of "non-academic" skills such as "grit" and "perseverance" to success in scholastics and in life.

I like this book.  I grew up very staunchly Christian, and either Christian-schooled or home-schooled, and I am very familiar with "values-based" education.  I grew up surrounded by stories such as those found in the Book of Virtues and old collections of short stories that made it absoiutely clear that only people with solid character foundations would succeed in life.  They also came with a hefty dose of scripture and really preachy moralizing that would put Elsie Dinsmore to shame.  I've often despaired of finding any sort of scientific backing for my bone-deep conviction that character is important, or of finding resources that don't approach the issue from a overt Christian perspective.

This book is that resource.  Very straightforward, and answers a few simple questions:  "Why do many smart people fail at life after school?"  "Why are some people bad at school, but succeed in life?"  "Why is there a difference in the life-paths of people who graduate High School and people with GEDs?"

First question answered: Book smarts aren't everything.  Often people who are successful at school are simply naturally good at the few skills that schools value.  Without learning how to study and apply themselves (which the book successfully demonstrates are learnable skills) they flounder in situations where their natural skills don't aid them as much.

Second question answered:  Book smarts aren't everything.  Often people who aren't good with standardized testing or the restrictive school environment blossom when their avenues open up and they are encouraged to take advantage of their other skills, like perseverence, critical thinking, and curiosity.

Third question answered:  Book smarts aren't everything.  GED students look much more like dropouts than like high school graduates, and the proposed reason is that their lives are being impacted by their lack of "grit."  They may gain the technical knowledge they were supposed to gain in high school, but that knowledge isn't helping them succeed.  Something else is necessary.

That something is really hard to pin down with the politicized climate of education today.  It's a landmine to find a good name for the non-academic skills that are important, but the individual ones will be easily recognised: Perseverance.  Curiosity.  Critical Thinking.  Self-Honesty.  Mental Toughness.  Self-Discipline. 

Finally (and here's the part I cheered for) the book shows several programs and pilot studies that are being worked on that are increasingly proving the idea that we can teach these "soft skills" or "character traits" to children (and to adults) to help them along in life. 

Some specific programs to look into: 
Tools of the Mind
KIPP Schools
Cognitive-Behavior Therapy

Excellent resource, and not a single scripture or "holier-than-thou" moment to be found.