The Words That Shape Us [Paperback]

*A UC Berkeleys Greater Good Science Center selection for Favorite Books for Educators in 2025 *

Teachers know that what we say to students matters. Recent neuroscientific research confirms just how powerful words can be. They can literally shape our brains, inviting us to create new mental concepts and influencing our emotional experiences. This book shares classroom-tested strategies and brain-changing teacher language that positively transforms how students think, feel, and achieve within their classroom communities and beyond. Includes curricular connections that help students explore and internalize these transformative words.
 

Lily Howard Scott (MSEd) is a NYC-based educator and author. She supports teachers and school leaders around the country with literacy learning and social and emotional learning (SEL).

Lily presents regularly at national conferences, and her writing about education has been published in The Washington Post and Edutopia, among other publications. The Words That Shape Us (Scholastic, 2025) is her first book.

For nearly 10 years, Lily taught elementary school in both public and independent settings. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two young children.