Thursday, February 5, 2015

Come meet to discuss our next book at Liz Olsen's home. February 24th at 7:30 pm!

How Children Succeed- Grit, Curiosity and the Hidden Power of Character by Paul Tough

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. But in How Children Succeed, Paul Tough argues that the qualities that matter more have to do with character: skills like perseverance, curiosity, optimism, and self-control.

How Children Succeed introduces us to a new generation of researchers and educators, who, for the first time, are using the tools of science to peel back the mysteries of character. Through their stories—and the stories of the children they are trying to help—Tough reveals how this new knowledge can transform young people’s lives. He uncovers the surprising ways in which parents do—and do not—prepare their children for adulthood. And he provides us with new insights into how to improve the lives of children growing up in poverty. This provocative and profoundly hopeful book will not only inspire and engage readers, it will also change our understanding of childhood itself.

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Next Meeting:

Amy Johnson's home: October 28th at 7:30 pm

Notes From a Blue Bike: The Art of Living Intentionally in a Chaotic World by Tsh Oxenreider

"Life is chaotic. But we can choose to live it differently. 
It doesn’t always feel like it, but we do have the freedom to creatively change the everyday little things in our lives so that our path better aligns with our values and passions.
The popular blogger and founder of the internationally recognized Simple Mom online community tells the story of her family’s ongoing quest to live more simply, fully, and intentionally.
Part memoir, part travelogue, part practical guide, Notes from a Blue Bike takes you from a hillside in Kosovo to a Turkish high-rise to the congested city of Austin to a small town in Oregon. It chronicles schooling quandaries and dinnertime dilemmas, as well as entrepreneurial adventures and family excursions via plane, train, automobile, and blue cruiser bike.
Entertaining and compelling—but never shrill or dogmatic—Notes from a Blue Bike invites you to climb on your own bike, pay attention to who you are and what your family needs, and make some important choices.
It’s a risky ride, but it’s worth it—living your life according to who you really are simply takes a little intention. It’s never too late."

Interesting Article on Early Learning . . .

http://www.imfcanada.org/issues/nurturing-children-why-early-learning-does-not-help

Monday, September 15, 2014

Next Meeting: September 23rd at 7:30 pm

Our next meeting is September 23rd at 7:30 pm.  We will meet at Emily Barneck's home to discuss the book: 

The Duggars: 20 and Counting!: Raising One of America's Largest Families--How they Do It  by Jim and Michelle Duggar

Monday, March 31, 2014

Great RadioWest Program

This RadioWest program aired last week.  Thought I would share with group . . .

Like most middle-class American parents, Hanna Rosin pays a lot of attention to her children. But it hasn’t always been that way. Just a generation ago, kids enjoyed immense freedom from adult supervision. Rosin says that today's kids are under perpetual surveillance. In a new article in The Atlantic magazine, she investigates why Americans are so protective of their children, and she'll join us Monday to talk about how our obsession with child safety has whitewashed childhood of its independence, risk and joys of discovery.
Read Hanna Rosin's article "Hey Parents: Leave Those Kids Alone!" It's the cover story in The Atlantic's April 2014 issue.
Hanna Rosin is an Atlantic national correspondent and author of the bookThe End of Men [Amazon|Indiebound].

Here is the link to the RadioWest program:

http://radiowest.kuer.org/post/hey-parents-leave-those-kids-alone

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

February's TED Talks

Since our last book selection was rather meaty, the group consensus channeled us to a more leisurely assignment for February.  For "Slacker February" the plan is to watch these two TED talks, totaling about 30 minutes altogether, then gather and discuss them at Beth Parker's home on February 25th at 7:30 pm.  Enjoy!

http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_how_to_escape_education_s_death_valley.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_changing_education_paradigms.html