Identifying children’s strengths and developing and nurturing children’s talents could provide a more effective and better education and produce a happier and more successful society.
So what do you think of the idea of improving the educational outcome for our children by assessing each child at a reasonably early age for their natural talents and abilities, and then focusing their educational years on developing those natural talents to nurture and improve them, thereby helping that child achieve their greatest potential.
In reality we are largely a society with a system of education that encourages children and students to make a decision about their future career at 15 – regardless of their natural skills, and we often end up trying to turn natural musicians into scientists or natural gifted nurses, or doctors into business entrepreneurs.
Can you imagine a world where we identified children’s talents and skills at a reasonably early age and concentrated on nurturing and developing those talents, rather than simply teaching them those subjects demanded by those who dictate school curriculums – despite the fact they will likely never meet or understand the potential of that individual child.
Would we not have a society that was more accomplished and happier? Could be become a people of greater intelligence that cared more?
I won’t attempt to broach the subject of expecting a child to really know what they want to do with their life at the tender age of 15, but I have to wonder looking back where my life might have gone if my parents had identified my natural love of music and talents as a musician, rather than simply telling me that if I did not go to university or college, that I would not amount to anything.
At 55 years of age I still have a desire to continually learn more about music and an insatiable desire to continually improve as a musician. It was a talent that I had to discover for myself in my mid-20’s, but by then daily responsibilities made it extremely difficult to seriously consider such a change in direction.
Maybe we have allowed society and it’s materialistic demands to dictate the meaning of success and true happiness.
True happiness can only come about through a fulfillment, and often that fulfillment is closely aligned with those natural talents and abilities that I believe we all have.
And doesn’t true success lie in achieving that happiness and fulfillment?
Why attempt to change a naturally gifted artist into an accountant, when if those natural skills in art had been nurtured and developed, that artist could have potentially become so successful they could afford to employ as many accountants as they need.
If you believe as I do that every child has some natural talent or skill, then you have to wonder how many people in our society have failed to achieve happiness and success because we adults failed to recognize the flaws in the way we develop and educate of children?
What do you think?
Is taking more time to identify each child’s natural talents an issue that could dramatically change the society in which we live?
I am in Full agreement with you on this. How can I help you expand this belief? We homeschool and our son has learning challenges. This year he is using Zane Education! I am passionate about helping other children with challenges find a solution!