http://www.aholyexperience.com/2010/06/how-to-raise-geniuses-or-be-bit-of/
This is a Christian perspective but the concept applies to anyone, reinforcing more of what we hear again and again…giftedness is really just diligence.
Interesting blog post. I need to print it out and read it every morning (and maybe every lunch and supper!) to remind myself of how easily we squander the time and therefore gifts that have been given to each of us. As she says it is so much easier to do the easier more comfortable things for all of us, not just the kids.
Slightly related, I saw this in action to a small degree recently. My 5 year old just spent a couple of hours each day working through Saxon 5/4 and his math skills have improved hugely. If I had actually looked at the type of topics involved at the beginning I would have questioned whether we would make it through but by the end he was working through most problems easily. I said to my husband - imagine what we could learn if we spent 1 hour a day diligently working at something (coupled with good resources to learn from).
An inspiring post. I know that spending time in a productive manner would let me learn so many new things - I just don’t seem to be able to make my actions reflect what I know! It is nice to have a reminder 
I’m trying to get into the habit of listening to audio Latin lessons while doing my washing up - fifteen minutes a day to dust the cobwebs from my brain and learn something without actually impacting on my schedule at all :laugh:
Jenene we are exactly at that point! Where I looked at the questions and thought to myself there is no way I would have tried this had I known what was in it. lol turns out it isn’t all that hard when done incrementally.
I got my daughter another math book to do when I don’t have time for Saxon ( my younger daughtereeds me to be near by at the moment, she is overwhelmed by the idea of doing the same math as her big sister :biggrin: ) I handed it to her and said go for it. Boy have I been surprised at what she already knows! Sigh. One of these days I might stop underestimating my children. :nowink:
Working in education I am constantly reminded that what I focus on teaching is what they learn. at age 4 if I miss something important ( like how to ask for something nicely!) it is OHHHH SOOOOO obvious! lol
Thus I am daily reminded that effort gets results! I try to tell my kids that at least once a week.
Mandabplus3, I was just glad that we had already started and set our goals (and had a firm deadline that couldn’t be extended) or I would have allowed my low expectations to determine how he did. Instead he went through the lessons with no problems. Saxon does such a great job of breaking down new skills and teaching them incrementally. I also love how little time is devoted to the new skill in each lesson so even if they do need some help with the new skill you are quickly back to questions already mastered and are confident with. Love it!
Also, my son is 5 and when we started his independence was very low. I had to read through the lessons and most of the questions, explain the examples etc… By the end he still preferred someone sitting with him (days that Daddy was home went much quicker than others as they would sit at Daddy’s desk together). But there were some lessons that he did entirely independently and the rest he did a large proportion independently. Hopefully by the time we work through this next book he will be entirely independent. So I’m sure your younger daughter will gain in independence quickly. I know it is just so time consuming until that happens.
And MummyRoo I totally agree. I know that I need to be more dilligent with our time but it still doesn’t seem to happen.
I really enjoyed the blog - thanks for the link TmT. I often think about the amount of time I waste on the internet and what I would be capable if I devoted even a fraction of it to learning a new skill!
MummyRoo - the FLYlady recommended that very thing on FB today!