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

A persuasive wakeup call.PeopleA NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERFrom the awardwinning journalist Paul Tough, a provocative and profound examination of child development, success, and characteran insightful study that reveals the power to transform young peoples lives.Why do some children succeed while others fail? The story we usually tell about childhood and success is the one about intelligence: success comes to those who score highest on tests, from preschool admissions to SATs. In How Children Succeed, Paul Tough argues that success has more to do with charactera set of noncognitive skills that includes perseverance, curiosity, optimism, and selfcontrol. In this groundbreaking study grounded in psychology and neuroscience, Tough introduces us to key researchers and educators, who, for the first time, are using the tools of science to peel back the mysteries of character. Through their storiesand the stories of the children they are trying to helpTough reveals how developing character strengths like grit has the power to transform young peoples lives. This provocative and profoundly hopeful book will not only inspire and engage readersit will also change our understanding of childhood itself.Why is our modern focus on test scores and IQ failing so many childrenand what does the science of child development say we should be focusing on instead? The Character Hypothesis: An exploration of why qualities like perseverance, curiosity, and selfcontrol are more predictive of longterm success than IQ scores from preschool to the SATs. The Science of Stress: A look at the groundbreaking neuroscience revealing how childhood adversity shapes the developing brain, and how nurturing relationships can reverse the damage. How Character is Built: From the classrooms of innovative schools to the labs of leading psychologists, discover how traits like grit and selfdiscipline are not born, but made. Rethinking Education: A new roadmap for parents and educators that moves beyond the achievement gap and focuses on creating environments where all children can thrive.