Becoming Brilliant: What Science Tells us About Raising Successful Children (APA Lifetools: Books for the General Public)

In just a few years, today's children and teens will forge careers that look nothing like those their parents and grandparents knew. Even the definition of ""career"" and ""job"" are changing as more people build their own teams to create new businesses, apps, and services. Although these changes are well underway, most systems lag behind. Most education systems still subscribe to the idea that content is king. The exclusive focus on content is reflected in what is tested and taught, and even in the toys that we offer our children at home. Employers want to hire excellent communicators, critical thinkers, and innovators - in short, they want brilliant people. But they are often disappointed. So what can we do, as parents, to help our children be brilliant and successful?

Stories about the failures of our educational systems abound, but most of them stop after pointing out the problems. Becoming Brilliant goes beyond complaining to offer solutions that parents can apply right now.

Authors Roberta Michnick Golinkoff and Kathy Hirsh-Pasek provide a science-based framework for how we should be educating children in and outside school. Parents become agents of change for children's success when they nurture six critical skills.

Constructed from the latest scientific evidence and presented in an accessible way rich with examples, this book introduces the 6Cs - collaboration, communication, content, critical thinking, creative innovation, and confidence - along with tips to optimise children's development in each area.

Taken together, these are the skills that will make up the straight-A report card for success in the 21st century.