Motivated Minds - Raising Children to Love Learning

About the book:
How do we show our children the great joys of learning? How do we get them to want more?
In the past, parents and educators have offered rewards and threatened punishment. More recently, they have focused on building self-esteem, but the latest research shows that this effort hasn't had a measurable impact in the classroom - and can even discourage children from learning. Combining years of experience in schools with a thorough survey of current research, Deborah Stipek and Kathy Seal offer this fresh and practical guide to what really works. Packed with strategies for parents of toddlers and elementary school students, Motivated Minds explains how close relationships with adults and feelings of competency and autonomy make children want to learn.
Always engaging and insightful, the authors describe how to create an intellectually enriching home environment for children that will enhance their school experience. They offer practical advice on promoting enthusiasm, academic risk-taking, and persistence, and they give down-to-earth tips for managing difficult issues - praise, grades, rewards, competition, and performance pressure - that inevitably arise for schoolchildren and parents. Motivated Minds is a must for any parent wanting to raise a curious, creative, ambitious and independent child.

About the authors:
Deborah Stipek, Ph.D., is the dean of the School of Education at Stanford University. An internationally recognized scholar who has published more than seventy articles and books on motivation, she was, for a decade, the director of UCLA's Corinne A. Seeds University Elemetary School, known worldwide as a laboratory for innovation in motivation. She lives in Palo Alto.

Kathy Seal is a journalist and author who has written about education and psychology since 1985 for such publications as The New York Times, Family Circle, and Parents. She and her family are in Santa Monica.

Reviews:
"Motivated Minds is an important guide for parents, teachers and all those charged with raising our children. Stipek and Seal offer a wealth of practical wisdom, providing readers with effective strategies for creating environments that enrich children's learning and overall development. While doing so, they also share with readers a deep understanding of the importance of caring and supportive relationships in children's lives."
- Dr. James P.Comer, Professor of Child Psychiatry, Yale Child Study Center; associate dean, Yale School of Medicine

"Motivated Minds is a 'must read' for all parents who want their children to love learning. Deborah Stipek and Kathy Seal turn research findings into accessible, fun and effective strategies parents can use today and everyday to help their children succeed."
- Ted Mitchell, Ph.D., president of Occidental College