Motivated

How do parents instill a lifelong love of learning in their children? Stipek, dean of the School of Education at Stanford, and Seal, a journalist and author, answer this question with well-documented studies, including research from UCLA's Corrine A. Seeds University Elementary School, a laboratory school for educational improvement where Stipek has served as director for 10 years and Seal as co-president of the parent-teacher's association for two years. Believing that ""play is children's work"" because it engages their interest in the world around them, Stipek and Seal encourage parents to develop their children's natural drive to learn by focusing on what they believe are the three primary components of success: competence, autonomy and relatedness (the unconditional acceptance, connection and support parents provide their children). Combining famous and fictional anecdotes and other special tips (the proper use of rewards, the role of self-esteem) with the results of current research studies, the authors provide an informative account of the broader concepts they believe are important for parents to understand so that they can create a culture of learning at home. An appendix supplies suggestions on how to assess a school and when to enroll a child in kindergarten. Despite the many studies cited, parents will find the book to be friendly and engaging, a useful resource that they can consult over the many years of their children's education. Agent, Heide Lange. (Apr. 18)