• Home
  • About
    • Welcome
    • Head of School
    • Our Team
    • Careers
    • Cougar Facts
    • Strategic Plan 2021-2025
    • STEAM Building
  • Admissions
    • Overview & Process
    • Online Application
    • Tuition & Fees
    • Tuition Assistance
    • Campus Tour
  • Academics
    • Cougar Prep (Preschool)
    • Lower School
    • Middle School
    • Upper School
  • Enrichment
    • Arts
    • Athletics
    • Character Education
    • College Prep
    • Field Study
  • On Campus
    • Before & After School
    • Cougar Buddy Program
    • Special Events
    • Summer Camps
      • Camp Clariden Sign-Up Form
  • Support Clariden
    • Cougar Pride Annual Fund
      • Monthly Pledge Form
    • Community Supporters
    • Donate Today
    • Employer Matching
    • Special Events
    • Volunteer
    • Ways to Give
    • Welcome Alumni
  • News
  • Contact
(+1) 682 237 0400
hello@claridenschool.org
  • Parent Portal
  • Student Portal
  • School Calendar
  • Spirit Shop
The Clariden School
  • Home
  • About
    • Welcome
    • Head of School
    • Our Team
    • Careers
    • Cougar Facts
    • Strategic Plan 2021-2025
    • STEAM Building
  • Admissions
    • Overview & Process
    • Online Application
    • Tuition & Fees
    • Tuition Assistance
    • Campus Tour
  • Academics
    • Cougar Prep (Preschool)
    • Lower School
    • Middle School
    • Upper School
  • Enrichment
    • Arts
    • Athletics
    • Character Education
    • College Prep
    • Field Study
  • On Campus
    • Before & After School
    • Cougar Buddy Program
    • Special Events
    • Summer Camps
      • Camp Clariden Sign-Up Form
  • Support Clariden
    • Cougar Pride Annual Fund
      • Monthly Pledge Form
    • Community Supporters
    • Donate Today
    • Employer Matching
    • Special Events
    • Volunteer
    • Ways to Give
    • Welcome Alumni
  • News
  • Contact

Letter from Head of School

Home » News » Perceptual Development and Grit in Children

Perceptual Development and Grit in Children

  • Posted by Clariden School
  • Categories Letter from Head of School
  • Date September 28, 2015
Clariden Community

Thank you to the families and faculty that gathered Saturday morning for Cougar U. We explored two topics on Saturday: 1) Perceptual Development and 2) Grit. For those of you that were unable to join us. Here’s a brief recap and some resources you may wish to explore.

Perceptual Development
The majority of us are familiar or at least have heard of the various developmental domains that are a part of a child’s growth. We’ve heard of cognitive development (construction of thought processes), physical development (gross and fine motor development, coordination, etc.), language development (the ability to acquire both receptive and expressive language), and social/emotional development (how we interact and respond to those within our world). Few have heard of perceptual development. Perceptual development is linked to cognitive development and is the aspect of development that is closely tied to one’s senses (touch, smell, taste, see, hear). Perceptual development involves the process of interpretation and thus understanding. It is through perceptual development that we acquire our perceptions of the world. One’s perceptions can best be explored through inquiry relating to the senses. As we explore and work to understand children’s perceptions, it’s best to inquire through questions related to the senses (i.e. What did you see that made you feel that way?) There is a new area of research that explores and has found that perceptual development first occurs while in the womb and that the messages perceived by the child while in the womb lay a foundation for them that lasts a lifetime. You may find the following TED Talk by Annie Murphy Paul -“What we learn before we’re born” of interest:

https://www.ted.com/talks/annie_murphy_paul_what_we_learn_before_we_re_born

Grit
Our second topic explored grit. This is a new area of research and quite the buzz word in education these days. Grit is best described, according to Angela Duckworth (psychology professor at the University of Pennsylvania) as one’s ability to “work strenuously toward challenges, maintaining effort and interest over years despite failure, adversity and plateaus…” It has been determined through research that grit is an indicator of success. It has also been determined, through research, that students with high IQ but lower amounts of grit are not as successful as students with an average IQ but a high amount of grit. As Dr. Duckworth states, “Many students with high intelligence may decide to take the safe route and are not particularly successful in life, whereas students with average intelligence and a good level of grit often far surpass their high-ability peers as grit predicts success beyond talent.” Grit differs from perseverance in that grit involves being able to stay the course over a long period of time. Grit is about being able to commit over a period of time and stay loyal to set goals.  Grit is different from passion in that grit requires full effort (even when not easy) and one’s full commitment to being successful (mastery). Here’s a 6-minute TED Talk by Dr. Angela Duckworth on grit that you may find interesting: https://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_the_key_to_success_grit
I love working with and learning about children. There is so much to learn about how they grow and learn, and there is much that they teach us. So, let’s be “gritty” and know that when it comes to learning about, working with, and nurturing children we’re committed to the long term, and thus, committed to the success of each and every one of them. Keep learning!

Sallie Wells, Head of School

Tag:community

  • Share:
Clariden School

Previous post

Clardien Student Becomes a Published Author
September 28, 2015

Next post

Teaching Independence in Children
November 17, 2015

You may also like

blog-familes-of-color-conference-2019
Cultural Competence
20 October, 2019
homework
Let’s Talk About Homework
3 October, 2019
blog-student-voice-did-my-mom
Did My Mom …?
15 February, 2019

Categories

  • Awards
  • Letter from Head of School
  • News
  • Uncategorized

clariden-logo

We offer next-generation learning to a global community of independent thinkers by
igniting curiosity, encouraging innovation, and discovering genius.

The Clariden School is a nonprofit organization recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)3. The Clariden School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, nationality, or ethnic origin in its admissions, availability of program and the administration of its policies and procedures.

School Hours & Calendar

  • MONDAY - FRIDAY
  • Administration7:30 am - 6:00 pm
  • Cougar K-128:15 am - 3:30 pm
  • Cougar Prep Preschool9:00 am - 2:00 pm
  • Early Drop-OffStarts at 7:30 am
  • Extended DayUntil 6:00 pm
  • School Calendar

Contact Us

To schedule a tour or for general inquiries, please contact us:

100 Clariden Ranch Rd., Southlake, TX 76092

(+1) 682 237 0400

hello@claridenschool.org

© Copyright The Clariden School 2017-2022. All rights reserved.