Joseph's Play

Joseph is an outgoing and popular boy at primary school. However, underneath his confidence, he carries a “shyness bug”: a secret that he does not want to share with anybody. Throughout the story, we see that Joseph can feel very worried about new or unfamiliar situations, particularly the daunting prospect of starting secondary school or performing in the annual school play, in front of all his new teachers. Gathering all his courage, and with the help and encouragement of his teachers, Joseph auditions for the role of Chai the mouse. There is one problem though: Ruby, his competition, a ‘natural’. Ruby, filled with confidence and self-assurance, claims she never makes mistakes and is adamant she’ll get the part. Will Joseph be able to fight his shyness bug and be resilient enough to be able to audition, and even perform in front of everyone? This book was created by the Growing Learners team at the University of Portsmouth (Dr Sherria Hoskins, Dr Victoria Devonshire, Dr Frances Warren, Dr Emily Mason-Apps, Dr Joanna Nye, Dr Liam Satchell and 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. Joseph’s Play is a story underpinned by psychology and education theory, 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 to read to younger children or for independent readers aged 8 - 11 years. At the end of the book you will find some questions to discuss with your children and some Mindset learning points.