Teaching Tough Kids
Simple and proven strategies
for student success

Teaching Tough Kids is written to enrich the ways we think and work with the kids the author affectionately refers to as 'Tough Kids'. They are complex kids who comprise at least 12% of our student population and find life tougher than most. Indeed, managing their emotion and behaviour presents educators with a spectacular challenge in schools today, and numbers are on the rise.

These kids encompass a group who are essentially challenged by poor executive functioning. They struggle to delay gratification, to be still, to listen, to filter out distractions, to process new information, to plan, persist, adapt to change and self-regulate emotion and behaviour. Poor executive function is associated with a number of developmental problems, psychological disorders, disabilities and difficulties. Teaching Tough Kids takes a particularly close focus on students identified with Learning Disability, Attention Deficit Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Asperger Syndrome. In recent times, another group of students with executive functioning difficulties have emerged in schools. These are the kids who have endured neglect or too much stress and uncertainty in their lives and as a result display classic symptoms of hyperactivity, hyper vigilance and impulsivity.

Teaching Tough Kids delivers a refreshing collection of realistic ideas to sustain the organisational, emotional and behavioural transformations of all students, particularly those who 'do it tough'; who learn and react differently. Filled with inspirational case studies, this book focuses on building improved relationships, structures and behaviours, rather than seeing the student as 'the problem' that must be fixed.

Highlighting the value of promoting positive connections with students of all ages, the author presents ways to incorporate inclusive ideas into everyday practice and construct pathways for students to become engaged in their learning and achieve success.

This insightful and stimulating book shows teachers how to:

• build student connectedness to learning
• set achievable goals for each individual child
• support emotional stability
• strengthen organisation patterns
• address behavioural issues
• improve homework planning
• create friendships and deal with bullying

Teaching Tough Kids delivers proven designs to match the rising complexity and intensity of student needs in our schools.

This new book is published by the Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group in London.

You can view the sample chapters from the book by using the navigation buttons at the bottom of this page.