Harvard’s Ronald Ferguson explores how to raise successful children
On a recent afternoon, the Gazette sat down with Ronald Ferguson, an MIT-trained economist who has been teaching public policy for more than three decades at Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), to talk about his book on how parenting styles shape children’s success. Educators have praised “The Formula: Unlocking the Secrets to Raising Highly Successful Children,” which Ferguson co-wrote with journalist Tatsha Robertson, as one of the most comprehensive studies on parenting. Ferguson, who is also the director of the Achievement Gap Initiative, spoke about the origins of the book, the similarities and differences between tiger parents and helicopter parents, and how to become a master parent. He will talk about his book on April 23 at 3 p.m. in the David T. Ellwood Democracy Lab space (Rubenstein R414). Q&A Ronald Ferguson GAZETTE: How did this book come to be? FERGUSON: The book is the confluence of two streams of activity, one by my co-author, Tatsha Robertson, and one...