The Disengaged Teen.
Helping kids learn better, feel better, and live better
A new release
Adolescents are hardwired to explore and grow, and learning is mainly how they do this. But a shocking majority of kids are disengaged from school, simultaneously bored and overwhelmed. This is feeding an alarming teen mental health crisis. As kids get older and more independent, parents often feel powerless to help. But fear not, there are evidence-backed strategies to guide them from disengagement to drive, in and out of school.
For the past five years, Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop have been investigating why so many children lose their love of learning in adolescence. Now, weaving extensive original research with real-world stories of kids who transformed their relationships with learning, they offer a powerful toolkit that shows you eactly what to do (and stop doing to support your kid’s academic and emotional flourishing).
The authors identify four modes of learning that students use to navigate through the shifting academic demands and social dynamics of middle and high school, shaping the internal narratives about their skills, potential, and identity:
Resister
When kids resist, they struggle silently with profound feelings of inadequacy or invisibility, which they communicate by ignoring homework, playing sick, skipping class, or acting out.
Passenger
When kids coast along, consistently doing the bare minimum and complaining that school is pointless, it is often because their classes don’t align with their skills, interests, or learning needs.
Achiever
When kids show up, do the work, and get consistently high grades, their self-worth can become tied to high performance. Their disengagement is invisible, fueling a fear of failure and putting them at risk for mental health challenges.
Explorer
When kids are driven by internal curiosity rather than just external expectations, they investigate the questions they care about and persist to achieve their goals.
Understanding your child’s learning modes is vital for nurturing their ability to become Explorers. Anderson and Winthrop outline simple yet counterintuitive strategies for connecting with your child, tailoring your listening and communication styles to their needs, igniting their curiosity, and building self-awareness and emotional regulation.
Praise for The Disengaged Teen
“Our education systems are shortchanging far too many teenagers. This book is brimming with insights on how to change that. It’s an engaging, evidence-based, and practical read about how to develop a generation of lifelong learners.”
—Adam Grant, author of Hidden Potential and Think Again
“This authoritative guide addresses the most urgent challenges facing parents and educators today. If you aspire to be the psychologically wise adult of a young person, this book is for you.”
—Angela Duckworth, author of Grit
“The Disengaged Teen is a compelling, enlightening, must-read book for anyone who cares about teens.”
—Lisa Damour, author of The Emotional Lives of Teenagers
“[The Disengaged Teen] is an empathetic look at how modern teens get lost and a practical guide to helping them get found. A welcome dose of hope.”
—Scott Galloway, professor of marketing, NYU Stern, host of the Prof G Pod and cohost of the Pivot Podcast
“So many parents want to help their teens become better learners but don’t quite know where to start. Here is a powerful, practical book that points the way.”
—Carol Dweck, author of Mindset
“Every parent of a checked out, overwhelmed, or frustrated middle or high-school student needs to read this book RIGHT NOW. Winthrop and Anderson take on some of the toughest questions about America’s education crisis—and, building on a decade of meticulous research, show parents the levers they can use to unlock inner drive in their children. This is exactly the right dose of science, rich story-telling, and actionable insights that parents need to get their teens out of a rut and set them up for success.”
—Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster Better
“The Disengaged Teen offers everything a parent or teacher needs to understand, support, and empower a child's learning. With expert insights and practical tools, this book is a gift to parents and educators everywhere."
—Jennifer B. Wallace, author of Never Enough
“Just the book every parent, teacher and administrator need to understand disengagement and turn it into drive. Our kids deserve this.”
—Kaya Henderson, former DC Public Schools Chancellor and Executive Vice President at the Aspen Institute
“The disengagement crisis is real. It’s hurting our kids and our society. This book gives parents and educators clear, evidence-backed ways to help young people develop the agency they need to navigate our fragile and fast-changing world.”
—Todd Rose, author of Dark Horse and End of Average
“Parenting a teenager can be an emotional roller coaster. Anderson and Winthrop bring clarity to the chaos, providing a practical framework for parents who want to understand their kids and help them succeed.”
—Paul Tough, author of How Children Succeed
“This urgent book demystifies one of the most important factors behind both academic success and emotional health in adolescence: student engagement. They make a persuasive case that parents hold more influence than they think, offering paradigm-shifting strategies for turning away from monitoring homework and grades to better unleash intrinsic motivation. Every parent of a child ten or older should read this book.”
—Wendy Kopp, founder of Teach For America
Get a sneak peak!
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