|  | |
| |
|
Growing Pains
- Many people assume that superior intelligence or ability is a key to success. But more than three decades of research shows that an overemphasis on intellect or talent—and the implication that such traits are innate and fixed—leaves people vulnerable to failure, fearful of challenges and unmotivated to learn.
- Teaching people to have a “growth mind-set,” which encourages a focus on effort rather than on intelligence or talent, produces high achievers in school and in life.
- Parents and teachers can engender a growth mind-set in children by praising them for their effort or persistence (rather than for their intelligence), by telling success stories that emphasize hard work and love of learning, and by teaching them about the brain as a learning machine.
A brilliant student, Jonathan sailed through grade school. He completed his assignments easily and routinely earned As. Jonathan puzzled over why some of his classmates struggled, and his parents told him he had a special gift. In the seventh grade, however, Jonathan suddenly lost interest in school, refusing to do homework or study for tests. As a consequence, his grades plummeted. His parents tried to boost their son’s confidence by assuring him that he was very smart. But their attempts failed to motivate Jonathan (who is a composite drawn from several children). Schoolwork, their son maintained, was boring and pointless.
Our society worships talent, and many people assume that possessing superior intelligence or ability—along with confidence in that ability—is a recipe for success. In fact, however, more than 30 years of scientific investigation suggests that an overemphasis on intellect or talent leaves people vulnerable to failure, fearful of challenges and unwilling to remedy their shortcomings.
The result plays out in children like Jonathan, who coast through the early grades under the dangerous notion that no-effort academic achievement defines them as smart or gifted. Such children hold an implicit belief that intelligence is innate and fixed, making striving to learn seem far less important than being (or looking) smart. This belief also makes them see challenges, mistakes and even the need to exert effort as threats to their ego rather than as opportunities to improve. And it causes them to lose confidence and motivation when the work is no longer easy for them.
Praising children’s innate abilities, as Jonathan’s parents did, reinforces this mind-set, which can also prevent young athletes or people in the workforce and even marriages from living up to their potential. On the other hand, our studies show that teaching people to have a “growth mind-set,” which encourages a focus on effort rather than on intelligence or talent, helps make them into high achievers in school and in life.
The Opportunity of Defeat
I first began to investigate the underpinnings of human motivation—and how people persevere after setbacks—as a psychology graduate student at Yale University in the 1960s. Animal experiments by psychologists Martin Seligman, Steven Maier and Richard Solomon of the University of Pennsylvania had shown that after repeated failures, most animals conclude that a situation is hopeless and beyond their control. After such an experience, the researchers found, an animal often remains passive even when it can affect change—a state they called learned helplessness.
People can learn to be helpless, too, but not everyone reacts to setbacks this way. I wondered: Why do some students give up when they encounter difficulty, whereas others who are no more skilled continue to strive and learn? One answer, I soon discovered, lay in people’s beliefs about why they had failed.
In particular, attributing poor performance to a lack of ability depresses motivation more than does the belief that lack of effort is to blame. In 1972, when I taught a group of elementary and middle school children who displayed helpless behavior in school that a lack of effort (rather than lack of ability) led to their mistakes on math problems, the kids learned to keep trying when the problems got tough. They also solved many of the problems even in the face of difficulty. Another group of helpless children who were simply rewarded for their success on easy problems did not improve their ability to solve hard math problems. These experiments were an early indication that a focus on effort can help resolve helplessness and engender success.
Subsequent studies revealed that the most persistent students do not ruminate about their own failure much at all but instead think of mistakes as problems to be solved. At the University of Illinois in the 1970s I, along with my then graduate student Carol Diener, asked 60 fifth graders to think out loud while they solved very difficult pattern-recognition problems. Some students reacted defensively to mistakes, denigrating their skills with comments such as “I never did have a good rememory,” and their problem-solving strategies deteriorated.
|
|
Raise Smart Kid
All Ages - Raise Smart Kid Articles |
var sburl4754 = window.location.href; var sbtitle4754 = document.title;
var sbtitle4754=encodeURIComponent("INTRODUCTION"); var sburl4754=decodeURI("http://www.raisesmartkid.com/raise-smart-kid-articles/introduction-2.html"); sburl4754=sburl4754.replace(/amp;/g, "");sburl4754=encodeURIComponent(sburl4754);
Hi, I'm Chacha Tumbokon, and I studied Psychology and Early Childhood Development. Also, I am a parent of 5 kids who all learned to read before they were 5. My 2 year old is already beginning to read. My expertise, experience and interest inspired me to create this site where I can share with you all kinds of information on raising smart kids based on key findings on brain research and child psychology.
There are many advantages to being a smart kid. A smart kid does well in school, get scholarships, and end up ahead in many ways in a competitive world. A smart kid makes you proud as a parent. Who knows, maybe your kid will be a successful entrepreneur or artist or help solve some of the world's serious problems.
Although we learn from books and expert articles, there is no substitute for actual parental experience. Stop by the Forum where you can discuss, ask questions, or share tips about your actual experience in raising smart kids.
Of course, making use of the resources in this site does not guarantee that your kid will be a scholar or a genius. A lot (as much as 80%) depends on his genetic make-up and inborn temperament. But if you make use of the materials here, you are maximizing your child's potential. You are increasing his (or her) chances to be the best of what he (she) can be.
Hope you like this site! I will be updating it regularly, so keep coming back!
|
|
All Ages - Raise Smart Kid Articles |
var sburl1447 = window.location.href; var sbtitle1447 = document.title;
var sbtitle1447=encodeURIComponent("How To Raise A Smart Kid - A Short Guide"); var sburl1447=decodeURI("http://www.raisesmartkid.com/raise-smart-kid-articles/how-to-raise-a-smart-kid-a-short-guide-2.html"); sburl1447=sburl1447.replace(/amp;/g, "");sburl1447=encodeURIComponent(sburl1447);
In a nutshell, here are the most important tips in raising a smart kid:
1. Interact with your kid, play with him (her), and make him feel loved – Scientists observed that babies who were not cuddled, played with and loved have stunted brain growth. They also observed that babies who were not held and did not receive attention failed to grow, became depressed, and eventually died. On the other hand, many studies have shown that hugging, interacting and playing with your child has a strong effect on developing his intelligence. The loving connection formed between you and your kid and your one-on-one interaction with him provide the foundation for his higher thinking skills.
2. Talk to your kid – This develops your child’s strong language skills. Also, listen to your child when he’s talking. This reinforces his effort to communicate and develops his facility for language.
3. Read books to your kid – Start reading to him even if he does not understand the words. This gives him a head start in developing language skills. Kids who are read to when young are more likely to develop a lifelong interest in reading, do well in school, and succeed in adult life. Reading books is one of the most important activities that make kids smart.
4. Let your kid play – When your kid plays, he is creating the foundation for his intellectual, social, physical and emotional skills. When he plays with other kids, he learns to combine ideas, impressions and feelings with other kids’ experiences and opinions.
5. Encourage your kid to exercise - Physical exercise does not only make your kid strong, but it also makes your kid smart! Exercise increases the flow of blood to the brain and builds new brain cells. Exercise is good for adults' mental sharpness, but it has a more long-lasting effect on your kid’s still developing brain.
|
|
Video and computer games, like many popular, entertaining and addicting kid activities, are looked down upon by many parents as time-wasters, and worse, parents think that these games rot the brain. Also, violent video games are readily blamed by the media and some experts as the reason why some youth become violent or commit extreme anti-social behavior. But many scientists and psychologists find that video games actually have many benefits – the main one being making kids smart. Video games may actually teach kids high-level thinking skills that they will need in the future.
|
|
|
Personalized Childrens Cds,Kids,Music,Songs,Kids Personalized cds,Childrens Personalized Cds,Personalized kids cds,Musical cds,personalized
Personalized Children's Story Books, Personalized Music Cds and more! We have the Best selection of Personalized Children's Products on the internet!
Kids Music Box CD offers personalized music for kids. Our music, lullabies, and sports CDs and personalized books feature your child's name Personalized Children's Music CDs / Personalized Children's Music CD · Shopping Cart ... Personalized Letters · Children's Personalized Music CDs KoolSongs, Personalized children's songs on CD. Your child will hear his/her name over 40 times in 8 fun and exciting songs.Personalized childrens books, personalized kids music, first name origin prints and birthday newspapers make wonderful, unique gifts for all ages.Personalized Books for children. The moment your child opens one of our personalized books and sees their name woven into the storyline, a magical adventure. Personalized Children's Story Books, Personalized Music Cds and more! We have the Best selection of Personalized Children's Products on the internet!
Our beautifully illustrated Create-A-Book Personalized Books for babies and children of all ages ... Personalized Baby Books · Personalized Birthday Books,Personalized Children's Books (Superhero Books, Baby Books ... Choose from one of the following Personalized Baby Books: Special Delivery Baby Book.personalized children's books personalized baby books personalized kids books personalized story books disney personalized books personalized books
|
|
Our personalized children's books are designed to increase the desire to read in your child. All over America, tests are showing that today's children are reading at levels rated below their appropriate grade levels. MegaSmartKids books are hand-assembled with hard-bound, wipe-clean covers and include your child's name along with his/her friends and hometown, too. Help your child enjoy the benefits of better reading by making reading fun! Show them how special they are by giving them a truly unique and personalized gift. They deserve it! Personalized Books and Personalized Music CDs are Innovative and Exciting. Our custom storybooks are wonderful personalized childrens gifts for any occassion.Children's Music just became more fun!
|
|
Children find reading exciting because the story is about them. Our personalized books make that special child in your life the star of their very own hard bound storybook. These books are printed with a laser printer on high quality paper and have professional illustrations throughout.
Teachers say the common denominator to learning is READING. Most parents and grandparents know this too. Books have always been one of the most valued items brought into the home where there are children. Books are more than just birthday and seasonal gifts, because they educate young minds both with the content and with the reading practice needed to succeed.
|
|
| | | |
|
