Introducing...........

[dcan]

I think of it like weight loss. It's really only eat less-move more...but that's really not interesting (and it's hard work) so the public devours the latest and greatest gimmick - such is true with homeschool curriculum. (IMO lol)

This is absolutely right, and I've come to the conclusion that this (focus and discipline) are the keys to success, not "intelligence" or creativity or gimmicks. This is proven time and time again in virtually every area I examine. For example, financial advisor Dave Ramsey has the same approach to debt -- "gazelle intensity" focus in a game that is 10% money and 90% behavior. Change the mind, change the behavior, and you change the money. I see the same approach here on this forum, evidenced by people like ryoder and others (e.g. the guy who needed a degree to keep his coaching job last summer) who blow through coursework because they are "gazelle intense."

Someone with average intelligence and superior discipline will usually out-perform someone with "superior" intelligence and only average discipline. School is not rocket science, as evidenced by pretty much everyone around you. I watched two "special ed" kids in 5th grade. The teacher (former Army) decided they had more potential and were being enabled by the system, so he took them aside and helped them and pushed them and held them to higher standards. One was out of "special ed" by the end of the year, the other one slacked and never got out. The teacher held up the one kid publicly in front of the whole class as an example of hard work and dedication.

I'd bet good money that kid never really let himself be held back again, for the rest of his life.