How to Talk So Kids Can Learn: At Home and In School

Great tools to learn

This book is a really good book. It has stories told by parents and by teachers. It teaches you how to listen and respond in a better way to the children.

I know that the book was written with what was described as years of research but it does seem biased. The strategies described may work for a majority of students and perhaps with younger kids but I believe that it is not necessarily a good approach for everyone. I could see a number of ways in which it would not apply to high school age students due to the simple-minded responses. So much of it was too "new age" thinking without respecting some older strategies which also still work. For instance, I believe that eliminating all labels is unnecessary, especially since some students feel pride and satisfaction in the label(s) they have developed or worked for. Also, the book seemed to dislike comparative practices between students, however in my educational experiences being ranked was extremely motivational and the major joy of my schooling. Students who are the best at their classes or athletics should be acknowledged as such because many colleges use these rankings for scholarship determination. Eventually these children will become adults and will have to face criticism and competition in the workforce, I believe that they should be prepared for that outcome at least to some extent. Book may be worth a peruse for some ideas if working with a challenging student or child. However, the narrative was a little too naive and unrealistic in my opinion, the "new teacher" they constructed and her colleagues seemed illogical and it read a little brain-washy.

relatable and applicable and i have seen immediate and incredible results after trying strategies read in there

As a new parent, I’m always looking for advice or professional examples of what to do. My son is almost 2 and each day he is more and more independent which is amazing and scary. This book was informative in the gentle parenting that I was looking for. This book happened to be more guided toward teachers (I plan to homeschool in the future) so I highly recommend for any school parents, and teachers to read. It wasn’t just about staying calm, it provided real life examples, cartoons and questions with thought out responses which made me feel less alone. It’s a struggle for anyone trying to raise a child and this book helped guide in a holding hand sort of way with no shaming to how you already parent.

My daughter is a teacher and as soon as I told her that I had ordered this book she made the comment that she had heard excerpts from this book. She has and does attend several conventions (work related) and is very involved with her 3 kids ages 18,15, and 4 yrs old. I need to be more effective in dealing with the girls (ages 8 and 9) approach to homework. I like the content but I'm also dealing with Sibling Rivalry right now so haven't absorbed as much as needed. One thing about Faber & Mazlish books is that you get help and time to digest the feasibility of their advice. Nothing is set in stone and you have several different helpful solutions to different situations that arise. It's a handy book to keep close at hand

For teachers wanting to improve the way they interact with kids outside the classroom this book is great. However don't make the mistake of using this book as a standalone management "how-to" for the classroom. This book is written from the perspective of authors who have made it very clear that they are more interested in representing children and parents rather than teachers and are actually not too clear about the already heaping responsibilities and demands on teachers time. In the slightly demeaning rhetoric of this book they trivialize the teaching career more than a few times. Teachers are expected to teach during their allotted time with students and not hold counseling sessions with kids mid-class. Actually the amount of talking this book asks you to do would more likely turn off a student especially if done in front of peers. As Dr. Phelan says in 1-2-3 magic, one of the biggest mistakes educators and parents can make is holding the assumptions that kids are simply mini-adults who will appreciate lectures and being reasoned to. Faber and Mazlish's solution to lack of time to implement these strategies: make the time even if you have to come far earlier than you usually do or stay later or skip lunch because these students are apparently more important than our sanity and our personal life. Faber and Mazlish make the common mistake of painting the teaching career as a self righteous mission to emotionally and academically save every student. This is a ridiculous view of teaching. That said I am giving this book three stars because it does help you think about the way you interact with children. I believe the types of interactions described in this book should take place on a personal level during breaks and rarely during class time. Building a relationship component with students is important for every teacher and can go a long way with students. Faber and Mazlish were reluctant to publish a version of "How to talk so kids will listen and listen so kids will talk" for teachers despite the call for it from multiple teachers. I believe their fears were justified. They do not have the experience to be writing a book for teachers. If a teacher were to base their entire classroom management around this book I could show you a teacher who students would never take seriously and who would not have control over her classroom. There are also some undertones of sexism against male adults in this book.

This is a book that I have ordered multiple times because I am always lending or giving it to other teachers. It is not dull, has lots of examples, and the principles work. I learned the principles (from Dr. Haim Ginott, their teacher, who was a psychologist at least 30 years ago) many years ago, and all of the practical applications of Faber and Mazlish have helped me to implement them in the classroom. Every teacher should know this way to communicate with children. Parents, too (How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk)...long title, but great book by the same authors. All of the books have the same basic principles, just applied to various populations.

This book is good but not as good as the others by the author. It has interesting examples to use in classrooms but is much shorter and more repetitive than the others.

Dieses Buch ist sehr hilfreich für Eltern und Lehrer! Es gibt praktische Beispiele, wie man Kinder motivieren kann, ihre Verantwortung zum Lernen zu erkennen und wie man ihre Gefühle auffangen und bestätigen kann. Dadurch stärken wir ihr Selbstwertgefühl und helfen ihnen, eine Lösung zu finden. In den kurzen Situationsbeschreibungen mit Zeichnungen kann jeder sich wiederfinden.

Very useful reference for understanding the mindset of kids

The book was bought second-hand but it came in a very good condition, almost as if it was new. It's definitely a must-have for all teachers and parents. Interesting and helpful content, as well as many tips aboht how to talk so kids actually want to learn. I'd recommend it to anyone who has or works with children.

Interesting info, practical tips and makes you realize that you are not alone.