According to Dr. Kathy Koch, educator, founder of Celebrate Kids and author of “8 Great Smarts,” every person, young and old, needs to know they are smart.
“Smart is a powerful word,” says Koch. “When children discover that they are smart, they are more willing to engage with all of life, including school. Children who don’t think of themselves as smart don’t tend to engage. They say to themselves, ‘I’m not smart enough, so studying won’t help.’
“Children who believe deep down they have a brain and they are supposed to use it are children who will have more joy and purpose, and their lives are more vibrant.”
When Koch taught second grade and realized some of her children were already classifying themselves as not smart, it concerned her. Even some of the parents doubted their child’s ability to do well at a very early age.
“The wrong question is, ‘Am I smart?'” Koch says. “Stupid is a choice. We were not created that way. Early on in my work, I discovered research conducted by psychologist Howard Gardner from Harvard University, who found that all of us have one brain divided into eight parts, and there are eight different ways of being smart. The better question is, ‘How am I smart?'”