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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OH. MY. GOD.
If you need to find a test center, your child doesn't belong in AAP.[/quote]

This is a misunderstanding of AAP. AAP is for academically advanced students, not gifted students. That includes children who are prepared to work hard to do advanced work and are capable of it. Hard work and conscientiousness  pretty much always trumps "gifted ability" so I don't know why the idea of preparing for a test (which usually involves just reviewing a couple of nnat / cogat books with your child and not some type of intense coaching sessions, generates such an intense reaction here. [/quote]

Sorry, but hard work and conscientiousness without underlying talent will never trump the person with “gifted ability.” You might tell your kid that, but it is simply not true.

Lots of kids could have worked right along side Micheal Phelps, maybe even worked harder than Phelps, but they would never be able to surpass him. Why? Because they did not have the “gifted ability” he had. Hard work is great, but it doesn’t make up for high levels of talent. 
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This is such flawed logic. They don't need to "trump" anyone-- just perform to the best of their ability and to the expectations of the AAP class. 
The kids who were willing to work super hard alongside Michael Phelps but never surpass him still experienced a myriad of benefits from the experience of pushing themselves, working hard, practicing, cultivating mental strength, resilience, etc. etc. -- these undoubtedly would serve them well during their lives even if they were not destined for the Olympics. Bizarrely, I actually know someone who DID train alongside Michael Phelps. He swam in college but not beyond that (competitively) but he went to an Ivy League undergrad and grad, and is very successful (both personally and professionally). 
It's about the journey, not the destination. If you don't understand this, there's not much more I can say. [/quote]

Sure, sure, hard work is a good thing, and well worth it if you’re playing the long game. But don’t kid yourself- and especially, don’t kid your children- that it is somehow “better” than having innate talent. It’s great, but it is not the same as having extreme talent. 
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No one is saying that. The reality is that very few people have “extreme talent”, and for the rest of us, hard work will get us quite far. Also, extreme talent combined with poor work ethic / fixed mindset will get a person nowhere. [/quote]

Hard work will never make up for lack of talent. The talented person will outdo the “hard working” person most of the time. I’ve seen it in my life and I’ve seen it among my kids and their friends. Hard work is great- no one is against it, and you can achieve a lot with hard work. But it never will be the same as having talent. And kids can become very depressed when they realize the truth. 
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