June 1, 2018

Books For Success — Boost Your Child’s Grades

Books For Success. What books help your child succeed? Read below to find out! 

As a tutor, I’ve discovered that many children have low grades because of their poor mindset.

I’m a big believer in books. I give books to most of my clients. Why? Because they have the power to transform someone’s life.

This blog article is about the 3 books for success—to help boost your child’s grades.

Here are the most important books for success that your child should be reading, now:

• Books For Success — Mindset

The “low effort syndrome” is something many parents are familiar with. Why does it happen? New research shows that it happens because during the teenager years students feel as if everyone is trying to quantify them. Grades. Papers. Tests. Students, at this age, naturally resist. “You want quantify me!” They seem to shout. “I won’t put it any effort at all— then you can’t test my ability. Ha!” (Clearly, that’s not the best, most useful, mindset in the world.)

The way to get around this, I’ve found, is to make students aware of this. I tell my clients why they are acting the way they are. And I think this insight gives me credibility. It builds trust because it shows I understand who they are and why they do what they do.

Teenagers, like anyone, want to be listened to. They want to be understood. They want to be heard and known. 

And I think it’s possible to hear them—while still encouraging them to improve.

This book teaches students that they can learn anything. It teaches them that if they try, and use different strategies, they can succeed at any subject. 

• Books For Success — How to Win Friends and Influence People

This book is a classic. Another thing I’ve found in my research and time spent with youth, is that kids who have the “low effort syndrome” are usually lacking interpersonal skills. They might be difficult to deal with themselves—but often they don’t know how to deal with difficult people. 

They don’t understand how to make a nit-picky teacher like them. Instead of being likable and winning a teacher’s favor, youth with the “low effort syndrome” are most likely to rebel so that they can look cool in front of their peers. 

This can all change by reading a few good books. 

• Books For Success — How Children Succeed

How do children succeed? Recent research shows that more than anything else, having grit is what makes children succeed. 

Grit is a personality trait that allows a person to pursue and accomplish their goals despite repeated and consistent setbacks and failures. 

In life and education alike, challenges are going to come. That’s why it’s imperative for a child to develop grit.

What researchers are finding matters even more than cognitive skills … are non-cognitive characteristics and qualities such as: persistence, self-confidence, grit, curiosity, and self-control. 

This book, and others, will show your child how.

— Eric Earle

P.S. — At Tutor Portland we have tutors who help in common everyday subjects. But our tutors also serve as mentors. We’re here to inspire students, to connect with them on a level deeper than simply school, academics, and grades. We’ve found that this deeper connection helps students improve both academically and personally.