How Children Succeed：Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character

11+,GCSEs,Alevels-itsometimesseemslikethestoryofourchildren'slivesisofoneacademictestafteranother.We'reconvincedthatagoodperformanceintheseexamswillleadtosuccesslateroninlife.Butwhatifwe'rewrong?Infact,studiesareincreasinglyshowingthatthequalitiesmostlikelytoensureabetterdegree,abetterjoband,ultimately,amorefulfillinglifeareperseverance,curiosity,conscientiousness,optimism,andself-control.Thesearequalitiesknowntoeconomistsas'non-cognitive',topsychologistsas'personalitytraits'buttotherestofusas'character'.HowChildrenSucceedintroducesustoanewgenerationofresearchersandeducatorswhoareusingthetoolsofsciencetopeelbackthemysteriesofcharacter.Throughtheirstories-andthestoriesofthechildrentheyaretryingtohelp-acclaimedjournalistPaulToughtracesthelinksbetweenchildhoodstress,childhoodcosseting,andlifesuccess.Heuncoversthesurprisingwaysinwhichparentsprepare-orfailtoprepare-theirchildrenforadulthood.Andheprovidesnewinsightsintothebestwaystohelpchildrengrowingupinpoverty.Earlyadversity,scientistshavecometounderstand,notonlyphysicallyaffectschildren'slives,itcanalsoaltertheneurologicaldevelopmentoftheirbrains.Butnoweducatorsanddoctorsareusingthatknowledgetodevelopinnovativeinterventionsthatallowchildrentoovercometheconstraintsofpoverty.Andwiththehelpofthesenewstrategies,asTough'seye-openingreportingmakesclear,evenchildrenwhogrowupinthemostpainfulcircumstancescangoontoachieveamazingthings.Thisisaprovocativeandprofoundlyhopefulbookthatwillchangethewayyouthinkaboutraisingandeducatingchildren.