School Success

There is no substitute for school success. Strong grades and high test scores give students the confidence they need not only to take on more advanced work but to confront real-life problems and work through them. The positive reinforcement from teachers, parents, and administrators can give a youngster all the faith that he or she needs in his or her abilities to meet challenges in ways that may be considered unorthodox or unconventional. This is perhaps the greatest hallmark of a liberal arts education that stresses the process of reasoning, not the results.

Similarly, school success translates to acceptance letters from elite universities, which in turn leads to a wider range of possibilities. That's not to say that vocational schools and community colleges are without such opportunities, only that these chances multiply as children ascend to the higher ranks of academe. There, they're more likely to meet classmates who are future leaders as well as professors who have written great books, lectured around the world, and published original research.

School Success Starts Early

Nothing breeds success quite like success. It seems more and more parents are subscribing to this philosophy than ever before, which explains the sharp increase in the number of early-childhood and even prenatal products out there. One famous study revealed that children whose mothers listened to classical music during the latter stages of their pregnancies gave birth to children with higher IQs.

It's a bit premature to go out and buy your infant a Steinway, but the point is still well taken. The beginnings of school success may be four or five years away for most newborns, but it's never too early to begin teaching your child. There's no evidence to refute the claim that early and frequent exposure to books, games, and even moving images correlates strongly with school success down the road.