Motivation is the Key Ingredient for Exceptional Achievement

Motivating Giftedness True or false? 

• Some people are born gifted, and others are not. 
• You can tell who will be gifted from early on. 
• Gifted children should be labeled and praised for their brains and talent. 

All of these statements are accepted by many as true. However, as evidence has accumulated over the past decade, another view has been gaining credence that portrays giftedness as a more dynamic quality that can grow or stagnate. With this outlook comes a shift in emphasis from how to identify gifted children to how to cultivate giftedness and talent—a change in focus from measurement psychology to cognitive and motivational psychology.


Genius and great creative contributions are the product of passion, learning, and persistence. Gifted People Are Made, Not Just Born

 More researchers are regarding motivation as the key ingredient for exceptional achievement. Their work suggests that creative genius itself grows out of the ability to sustain intense commitment for extended lengths of time in the face of obstacles. They tell us that many well-known geniuses — Edison, Darwin, even Einstein — were ordinary bright children who became obsessed with something and because of that obsession ended up making enormous contributions.

 What are you doing to help foster your child's creative genius?