The Well-Educated Child - How the Principles and Practices of Quality Thinking, Agency, and Ethical Purpose Cultivate Deeper Learning

By: Deborah Kenny

Published by Zando, 2026-04-21

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.