What we should teach every child

Jacques Gibble, guest education columnist for the Dec. 21st Sunday News, states:

"I agree that telling a student he is doing well when he is not is immoral and has a chilling effect on long term growth. But for many years our schools have operated on the belief that academic success is mainly controlled by inherited ability...My reading of the research is that 'smart' can be learned. Refocusing a child's beliefs from ability to effort can increase his engagement in learning. When a child believes that his efforts matter, he shows greater persistence in learning and improves his outcomes."

One of the most pernicious infuences on the lives and education of our senior generation was that intelligence levels were determinative in outcome. We were fixated on IQ scores.

According to research reported by author Geoff Colvin, author of "Talent is Overrated", highly successful people are those who are well taught and concentrate for long periods of time on learning particular skills.

Talk show host Charlie Rose relates how all of the successful people he has interviewed have had one thing in common: They say they work extremely long and hard, and most insist that extraordinary effort, not talent, is the key to their success.

Rose's interview of Colvin can be viewed at http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/9856 .