To help your child become an autonomous and resilient learner:
Encourage her to harness the power of passion and perseverance.
In their book, U Thrive: How to Succeed in College (and Life), Dan Lerner and Dr. Alan Schlechter explain the roles that passion and perseverance play in achieving success. Here are some practical ways in which your child – and you! – can harness their power:
1) Identify your interests and strengths and let them guide you.
Try out new activities and hobbies to find those that bring you joy and motivate you to improve. Letting your interests guide you in your academic and career choices will bring you more satisfaction and success.
2) Deliberate practice makes perfect.
Excellence isn’t something we are born with; it’s something we achieve through practice and perseverance. To succeed, your practice must be deliberate: you must set yourself a goal and establish a plan to achieve it. Also, you should consider finding a mentor from whom you can learn first-hand.
This summer, encourage your child to try at least one new activity. Who knows: she may discover a new passion or talent!