Teachers and parents from across the nation report on MegaSkills impact. Usually this is reported in numbers and statistics. This is strong data, and yet there is also another kind of data: real life experience with real life teachers, parents and children. These are the true stories we will share with you in this section: The Differences MegaSkills Makes.
Research Findings: 2006 In Support of the work of MegaSkills
Psychological Science, Dec. 2005
Study by Duckworth and Seligman:
Reported by Gerald Bracey in the Kappan March 2006:
“What distinguishes top students from others? Are they simply smarter? If so, what explains the wide range of performance among children with equal IQ?”
The results suggest that self-discipline has a bigger effect on academic performance than does intellectual talent. The researchers also state: “…we believe that insofar as grade point average reflects performance on hundreds of exams. Papers, class discussions and homework assignments assessed by multiple teachers over the course of a school year, GPA is a more valid indicator of academic achievement than a standardized test that samples a student’s knowledge and skills over a course of a few hours.”
Phi Delta Kappan: February 2006
Character and Academics: What Good Schools Do
Study by Jacques S. Benninga et al
“It is clear that well-conceived programs of character education can and should exist side by side with strong academic programs…At a time when resources are scarce, we see schools cutting programs and narrowing curricula to concentrate on skills measured by standardized tests. Our research suggests that school goals and activities that are associated with good character programs are also associated with academic achievement.”
From Oklahoma
"We go to the supermarket, and I use coupons a lot. I never used to take my kids to the store because they always seemed to be getting underfoot. Now I take them because my son has helped me solve the problem of how to find the items I was having trouble finding before. He wrote down all the aisle numbers and what you can find in those aisles. Now I give him coupons the coupons and he finds the items. I can hear him now."
"Do we want the cookies or can we go with the crackers?"
From Indiana
"I have three children, ages six, nine and twelve. The youngest thinks that what she says is not as important as the others because they're older. So I ask them each to stay at the table until all three have talked about their days, each listening to the other."
From Pennsylvania
"I think that these activities have helped me in a way more than my child. I am developing more patience and am having to learn to share my kitchen sink with someone who truly wants to learn. Thank you for helping me realize that I am indeed not too old to learn."
