For Teachers, Parents and Kids: Strategies That Promote Self-Esteem, Achievement and Behavioral Self-Control

Jane Heath teaches psychology at Ryerson University.

In this book, the author devotes much time and effort to defending the
importance of self-esteem in both academic achievement and behavioral
self-control, as reflected in attention deficit disorder and
oppositional defiant disorder. The difficult and controversial question
of direction of causality is not directly addressed. The impression
conveyed by the author’s arguments is that high self-esteem results in
academic competence and self-controlled behavior. While concepts from
Freudian and Adlerian psychology are used to define the nature and
origins of self-esteem, those from more recent theorists in the area,
such as Susan Harter, are not included. This results in a perhaps
oversimplified view of the issues involved.

A central theme of this book is the provision of strategies for
promoting self-esteem, achievement, and behavioral self-control. Here,
again, complex issues much explored in recent research are not
mentioned. The value of mastery-oriented teaching, and the use of
controlled experiences of failure to alter children’s attribution
patterns so as to enhance achievement and hence self-esteem, are two
examples that come to mind as appropriate in this context, but not
mentioned by the author. Another central premise appears to be that
self-esteem is the “core construct of an effective preventive model”
designed to address learning, conduct, and adjustment problems; the
author provides numerous directives regarding how to implement such a
model.

While useful suggestions are undoubtedly to be found, the overall
impression is of an attempt to cover too many areas in too little
detail. Given the complexities of dealing with children with attention
deficit disorder, hyperactivity, dyslexia, or general learning
disabilities in the classroom or at home, it is difficult to accept that
a few pages of suggested strategies would be other than frustrating. In
general, while the issues discussed in this book are important and
timely, the solutions proposed are less than satisfying.