The Secret to Raising and Teaching Smart Kids

By Dr. Barrett Mosbacker

January 02, 2015

I ran across this excellent article, The Secret to Raising Smart Kids,¹ in Scientific American. It will take ten minutes or less to read and is well worth your time. After reading it, I sent the email below to my staff. I plan to share the article with our parents as well.

I trust you will find it as helpful as I did.

Dear Staff,

I trust you have had a restful holiday season with family and friends. I have.

I ran across a very helpful article titled The Secret to Raising Smart Kids. It will take ten minutes or less to read but is more than worth the small investment of your time.

I plan to share this article with parents, and I anticipate that some will ask you about it. I encourage you to read it and then consider the following questions as a parent, administrator, teacher, or coach:

• Do you have a fixed or a growth mindset in your own life and work? How might your mindset affect the way you respond to challenges and constructive criticism?
• Do you believe that your children, students, athletes, or subordinates have fixed or dynamic intelligence and abilities? How does that belief affect the way you lead, teach, and coach them?
• How should the research summarized in this article affect the way you speak to and instruct your children, students, athletes, or employees?
• How should this research affect the way you assess and evaluate others?
• Does this research align with biblical principles? If so, which ones?

These questions are offered for your personal reflection, not as a request for a response — though responses are welcome.

Thank you for all that you do in serving Christ. Your hard work glorifies him and blesses others.

Barrett Mosbacker