Annalisa: I feel bad giving you one more thing to think about. But I just wanted to suggest that you including Stanford's Carol Dweck's research in your list of reading. She has a couple of concepts that I've found very helpful on a day to day basis working/talking with my children about academics.

One, that "intelligence praise" we give our children can backfire so that they don't risk doing tasks at which they might not excel. She has done some experiments that show clearly the type of praise that encourages a child to try harder things, and the type of praise where children opt to take the "safe" task.


Second, her discussion of a growth mindset: people believe they can develop their brain, abilities, and talent. This view creates a love for learning, a drive for growth and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishments.


Last edited by herenow; 04/23/11 07:42 AM.