The Well-Educated Child

How the Principles and Practices of Quality Thinking, Agency, and Ethical Purpose Cultivate Deeper Learning

By: Deborah Kenny, John Legend - introduction

Narrated by: Deborah Kenny, John Legend

One of America’s leading educators explains what children need to thrive and excel.

In The Well-Educated Child, Dr. Deborah Kenny offers an inspiring vision for education that cultivates intelligent, happy, morally grounded young people. This landmark book will change the way we think about what it means for our children to be well educated.

Drawing on decades of experience with students from preschool through high school, Kenny presents education as soul craft. She reveals how to teach children the skills of self-management and the virtue of self-discipline, and what students must learn to become intellectually curious, knowledgeable, gracious, and motivated.

With wit, wisdom, and warmth, Kenny describes how young people can become serious thinkers and avid readers who appreciate beauty, concentrate for long periods of time on challenging work, and lead meaningful lives. She takes us inside classrooms to understand the importance of deeper learning based on three concepts: quality thinking, ethical purpose, and a sense of agency. Her ideas are both practical and deeply philosophical. At a moment when parents and teachers are concerned about digital distraction and declin­ing engagement, The Well-Educated Child is a masterful exposition of what we need to know about what education should be.

A Wonderful Listen

As a former educator and school board member, I enjoyed this book immensely. I found myself finding.meaning for my own learning and development. Plus I would love to buy a copy for everyone in education.

This is about schools for the wealthy.

I was in 1st chapter and visited my daughter and her 2 little kids. I shared with her the title and what I read so far and the authors goal with the title. She informed me about what is now going on in education and this book is feeding into it. In our country they are now trying to get away with not supporting our public schools and this author is supporting her own charter schools and all the others. I read through chapt 2 and my daughter was exactly correct. The Well Educated Child should be a movement in our public schools, but it is a movement for the wealthy. I will not be reading further.