Early Elementary Educator

You have got to read How Children Succeed by Paul Tough. According to this book academic skills and intelligence are not enough to enable children to succeed. Children also need some important character traits such as perseverance, conscientiousness, optimism, and self-control. This is especially true for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. I find this book very exciting. I can really see what he is talking about as it plays out in my classroom. The most interesting question is whether these traits are something that can be taught. The evidence seems to suggest that teachers and parents can encourage the development of these traits.