K THROUGH 4TH GRADE
Success, broadly defined, depends on working hard, but people don’t usually work hard unless they are interested in an activity. You can set your child up for success by helping them discover interests and experience the pleasure that comes with deepening skills.
“Before hard work comes play. Before those who’ve yet to fix on a passion are ready to spend hours a day diligently honing skills, they must goof around, triggering and re-triggering interest.”
– Angela Duckworth, Ph.D.
Key Strategies
- Playful Exploration. By exposing your child to a wide variety of experiences, you increase the chances that they will discover things that catch their fancy. This phase started when your child was a baby and extends for their entire life.
- Purposeful Conversation. Your child may discover interests and find purposes very different from your own. Keep your ears and eyes open, listening to your child’s ideas, and talking with them about how to act on their emerging interests.
- Feeding the Fire. Once your child shows significant interest in something, consider ways you can provide opportunities for them to deepen their interest. For example, provide supplies and connect them to other people who can inspire and advise them.
Additional Resources
Book: Grit, Angela Duckworth
Book: The Path to Purpose, William Damon
Sparking Interest