The tale of Lucy Bell who wanted to learn to read and spell

'The tale of Lucy Bell' is a poem about a pupil struggling to learn how to read and spell at school. Lucy wishes she could be like John, who seems to find learning easy. She describes how sad she feels and that she is frightened of trying for fear of making mistakes. Her kind teacher explains to her about growth mindsets and she begins to realise what the ingredients are for successful learning. This book was created by the Growing Learners team at the University of Portsmouth (Prof. Sherria Hoskins, Dr Victoria Devonshire, Dr Frances Warren, Dr Emily Mason-Apps, Ms Mathilde Chanvin). We are a group of education research psychologists who are passionate about supporting schools and parents in helping children to become resilient, confident learners. 'The tale of Lucy Bell who wanted to learn to read and spell' is a story underpinned by psychology and education theory (mindsets), aimed at promoting a Growth Mindset by highlighting the importance of tackling challenges, exploring different strategies, learning from mistakes, persistence and resilience in the face of difficulties. This is a great story for parents and teachers to read to younger children or for independent readers aged 5-9 years. At the end of the book, you will find some questions for discussion with your children, as well as Mindset learning points.