Learning Without Fear: A Practical Toolkit for Developing Growth Mindset in the Early Years and Primary Classroom
Brand: Crown House Publishing
Categories: Books, Education & Teaching, Schools & Teaching



Dimensions: 7.1 x 0.7 x 8.7 inches
ISBN-13: 978-1785833052
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1785833057
Publisher: Crown House Publishing
Print length: 272 pages
Publication date: August 28, 2019
subtitle: Paperback – August 28, 2019
author: Visit Amazon's Julia Stead Page search results Julia Stead Visit Amazon's Ruchi Sabharwal Page search results Ruchi Sabharwal
review: Editorial Reviews Review ’Learning without Fear’ is a fantastic introduction to growth mindset in the classroom which skilfully debunks some of its common myths. Accessibly written and based on sound research, the book begins with a discussion on how to assess your own mindset and invites you to consider its impact on your practice. Julia and Ruchi then move on to offer practical ways to introduce the concept of growth mindset to children across the primary school age range, explore its importance as an ethos rather than as a bolt-on lesson, and provide strategies to embed growth mindset throughout the curriculum. This book will be a valuable addition to the library of both experienced teachers and those new to the profession. - Angela Goodman, Head of School, Waterloo Primary School and part of the #PrimaryRocks team By distilling a wealth of research on growth mindset and metacognition, ’Learning without Fear’ provides the classroom teacher with a go-to compendium of ideas and strategies to fully embed a culture of growth in the classroom. This book has the potential to change every primary school classroom in the land, and should be a key text for any primary teacher training course. - Colin Grimes, teacher, Rothbury First School A must-read for anybody working with children, ’Learning without Fear’ offers a fresh approach to looking at growth mindset and provides a whole host of excellent ideas, resources and practical examples. Can teachers make a change? With this book, yes they can! - Graham André, teacher, Lanesend Primary School, speaker, #PrimaryRocks organiser and eduTwitter influencer In ’Learning without Fear’ , Julia and Ruchi tackle some of the myths relating to growth mindset and show how there is much more to this complex field than positive thinking and increased effort alone. Beautifully illustrated, this terrific book covers the field of growth mindset in a way that is both accessible and thought-provoking – providing subtle insights into the difference between failing and failure, and how to support children to feel comfortable with being uncomfortable, for example. Furthermore, it shares wonderful resources, stories and case studies to help teachers make authentic growth mindset possible for every child in their classroom. ’Learning without Fear’ will be incredibly useful for primary school teachers. An absolute gem. - Mary Myatt, education adviser and author of The Curriculum: Gallimaufry to Coherence When there’s an item on a menu or a label on a tin, I want to know that what it tells me I’m going to get is exactly what I am delivered. No hidden ingredients, no surprises’ just exactly what the description says. This book ticks all those boxes and more: magically transporting the reader into a world of teaching and learning where the most important element – the children, the learners – is at the core of everything it shares. Full of intoxicating lesson ideas and strategies, ’Learning without Fear’ is also a carefully crafted, sharp, edgy and compelling read. Why? Because it addresses growth mindset – and all the supporting tools for learning – with rigour, research, heartfelt descriptions of children learning, and expert advice on how growth mindset opens up a wonderful gateway to personal development. The book hooks the reader in for a riveting journey of ideas, researched applications and practical tools that will enable the development of a thorough growth-mindset approach in any classroom. Not only are the scenarios of ‘mindsets in action’ creative and purposeful, but I would go as far to say that Julia and Ruchi are master storytellers throughout the book – and the beautiful illustrations and use of modelled work really enhance the reading experience. I felt compelled to assess many of my own growth-mindset approaches through the authors’ skilful questioning and extensive use of appropriate language for this age range, and the detailed approaches specific to the early years are to be highly commended too. No teacher need be concerned or fearful about developing a growth-mindset philosophy in early years and the primary classroom. ‘’Learning without Fear’ has it all here for them. - Nina Jackson, author, award-winning speaker and education consultant, Teach Learn Create Ltd Julia and Ruchi have produced an instantly accessible, practical guide which explains some of the key concepts central to growth mindset and metacognition in such a way that will help everyone who works with children. The book’s mini stories are an excellent medium to get learners to think about different scenarios, and the references to research are useful for anyone who wants to explore the literature around growth mindset in greater depth. ’Learning without Fear’ is a really valuable resource which will spark debate and discussion among staff teams and help teachers to reflect on the language they use and the behaviours they model in school. - Ruth Swailes, school improvement adviser and education consultant Forget growth mindset mantras and posters – instead read this more nuanced, comprehensive exploration of a range of strategies designed to achieve success in early years and primary settings. ’Learning without Fear’ accessibly and practically describes the critical elements of learning without fear, and also delves into pupil self-regulation and the pitfalls of praising the child rather than the process. It is filled with anecdotes and ‘mini stories’ – case studies of children’s typical negative school experiences or thoughts, skilfully turned into success stories – that all come to life in the book’s colourful, welcoming pages, which also feature plenty of research evidence and the authors’ personal classroom experiences. This delightful publication then culminates in a bank of powerful and easy-to-follow lesson ideas, which – together with the rest of the book’s content – will help educators develop in their learners a growth mindset that will benefit them both in school and beyond. - Shirley Clarke, international formative assessment expert About the Author Julia Stead is a classroom teacher with 15 years' experience across all Primary year groups from EYFS to Year 6. She has recently co-authored the book Learning without Fear: A practical toolkit for developing growth mindset in the early years and primary classroom, published by Crown House Publishing. Julia's love of teaching and learning has seen her remain in the classroom, honing the craft of effective teaching year on year. Her relationships with children are the absolute foundation upon which every success is built, and inform every decision she takes in the classroom. A member of the SLT at her last two schools, Julia has been responsible for an overhaul of the whole curriculum at her current school, and has led CPD on questioning, learning outside the classroom and teaching without ability groupings. Julia acts as a designated person for child protection and a mentor for trainee teachers.