Struggling to Succeed

by Kim A. Howe, M.S.

The Value of Persistence

NPR recently aired a story about the importance of learning to struggle through hard problems. They contrast the views of struggle in Western and Eastern cultures. Jim Stigler, a professor of psychology at UCLA, is quoted in the article as saying,

"I think that from very early ages we [in America] see struggle as an indicator that you're just not very smart. It's a sign of low ability — people who are smart don't struggle, they just naturally get it, that's our folk theory. Whereas in Asian cultures they tend to see struggle more as an opportunity."

The activities in the Moving Beyond the Page curriculum are not designed to be "easy," but rather are designed to promote thinking skills and present challenging academic tasks. Children will often be challenged to persist, and in this process they will develop perseverance in academics.

I encourage you to listen to the story and then analyze your attitude toward struggle to make sure you are teaching your children skills that will help them persist through academic challenges. For example, if your child encounters a challenging writing assignment, communicate that this is a great opportunity to learn. Your attitude can make all the difference.

Follow this link to listen to the story:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/11/12/164793058/struggle-for-smarts-how-eastern-and-western-cultures-tackle-learning