Kristin De Vivo recommends Helping Children Succeed

Helping Children Succeed: What Works and Why

By Paul Tough (Random House, 2016).

In Helping Children Succeed, Paul Tough translates seminal educational research into compelling, informative, and effective storytelling. If every policy maker, educator, and parent could read this book, I suspect we could make great strides in changing the education system for the better. I was so moved by Tough’s ability to cogently and passionately describe what we know works and why, I gave the book to every member of the board of directors at the George Lucas Educational Foundation when it was first published in 2016. It remains just as relevant today, and I continue to share it with friends and colleagues.

The many important topics that Tough writes about include the impact of toxic stress on the brain, why and how the early years inform later learning and development, and the power of relationships to build a sense of belonging in school. We must collectively understand and address these issues if we are to provide equitable opportunities for all children to learn and thrive.

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