Square Pegs: Inclusivity, compassion and fitting in – a guide for schools

Product Information

The story of the Square Peg is a book every parent who has a troubled child should read. There are so many parents out there who have forgotten what it means to be a kid, especially being a kid in today's times. I'm not sure when it happens, but it seems that as soon as adults turn into parents, they lose all sense of reality and common sense. They like to believe that what they are doing is best for their kids, when sometimes it is not. This book explains the trouble the author had growing up because of all the trouble he got himself into. His impulsivity always made him look like a kid with no future and no chance of doing anything good with his life. Boy, did he prove them wrong. As a parent of two "square pegs" (both my children are autistic, amongst other needs), this book was a good read. Sometimes though, it was a bit over my head as it is aimed more at educators than at parent/carers. However, one of my "square pegs" has been so let down by the system that she is currently not in school. She was even let down by the special needs school we got her into after she crashed out of mainstream school. I just wish that educators would rethink how they approach children. I wish that politicians would stop trying to fix things by putting arbitrary targets into place. There needs to be a wholesale change in culture. Not every child's success is the same. We need to be able to help all children succeed, even if that means different ways for each child. Rose's book is simultaneously a memoir and a textbook which teaches parents and teachers how to cater to individual learning styles. He has great ideas for using all of the technology available today to help the students that struggle in a traditional learning environment. I liked how he had 'Big Ideas' and 'Action Items' after every chapter. I liked even more that the action items often included things like "give your child a hug!" Rose, who was diagnosed with ADHD as a youth and consequently dropped out of high school with a 0.9 GPA, is now a faculty member of the Harvard School of Education. His story is inspiring, and his ideas for our children even more so. Since establishing Independent Thinking 25 years ago, Ian Gilbert has made a name for himself across the world as a highly original writer, editor, speaker, practitioner and thinker, and is someone who the IB World magazine has referred to as one of the world's leading educational visionaries. This book offers a wealth of practical examples of how collaboration between schools and families, alongside the will to make a culture shift, can lead to successful inclusion practices. It is very readable and contains practical advice and solutions, framed within the current educational context, that leaders, teachers and support staff can use to create the right systems and support to ensure that every child and young person really is more than just ‘fine in school’.

Interesting memoir by a guy who grew up in the 80's and 90's with severe ADHD. He dropped out of high school after failing too many classes to graduate, but did get his GED, go on to college, and eventually grad school...ending up teaching at Harvard. If all you want is facts and research results so you can find their flaws, read research journals, and leave this one alone.

More Reviews

This story made me so angry! And even though that was probably 20-30 years ago, things like this still happen quite commonly in our educational system.

Over the last few years, changes in education have made it increasingly hard for those children who don't 'fit' the system - the square pegs. The book is set out in five parts, covering insights into individual cases, legal issues, relationships, mental health and alternative options.

Your thoughts

Square Peg is also a book for parents and educators who are looking for answers for helping kids survive and thrive in a failing education system. If you have a child with dyslexia or ADD or Asperger's you probably already know that your child doesn't do well in the current educational system. Rose provides specific techniques and ideas on how to be a better parent and how to be a more effective teacher when working with kids that are active learners.