What if your child’s success in school was dependent upon their ability to complete a project, even when it gets hard? What if their success in life was directly in proportion to their passion and perseverance? 

“Our education system is really good at measuring IQ, but what if IQ scores and grades don’t determine educational or future life success?”

This is the question posed by psychologist and researcher, Dr. Angela Lee Duckworth. According to the former teacher, the best predictor of future success has nothing to do with IQ or intelligence. In fact, her research reveals the most accurate predictor of success is from a motivational perspective. 

You may know a student with a high IQ who just isn’t motivated to make A’s, do homework or have the patience to read the assigned book. Duckworth’s research reveals the best predictor of educational and future life success is a person’s “grit.”

Grit, she explains, is a combination of passion and perseverance.

Dr. Duckworth’s recommendation is to help our children learn grit by teaching students how to motivate themselves, keep themselves involved in a project until completion. In other words, if we want to help our children succeed, let’s teach them passion and perseverance.

Instilling these traits is a project completed over time by, as she suggests, beginning a “growth mindset.” 

To learn more about teaching your children grit, watch her TED Talk here!

Written by: Allison Wray