Perseverance is a necessary skill, which is possessed by all superior students. It is an important indicator of their future success.

Many children have difficulty with one or more executive functions, but most are never diagnosed with a problem.

Goal-directed perseverance is an executive functioning skill. Deficits in any of these skills can cause problems in academic performance, how your child manages his life and gets things done efficiently. Doing well in life depends on much more than learning quickly and easily.

What is perseverance?

Perseverance/goal-directed persistence is sticking to a task and not giving up, even when it becomes challenging. It includes the ability to use strategies to get through the activity, in spite of the roadblocks that come up along the way.

It is also known as grit and stems from self-awareness, self-management and decision-making.

This is a skill we have all heard of or used, but one that is not explicitly taught.

Why is perseverance important for learning?

Perseverance combines with the executive functions of task initiation and sustained attention to enable your child to start and complete long-term projects.

It is important because it builds the character of your child. It gives him inner strength that will help him ignore and overcome obstacles and keep him moving forward towards his goal or their chosen path. It gives him the driving force to stay strong and always do the right thing.

This is the mental skill that will help him overcome diversity, criticism, and setbacks in school and life. Along with determination and resilience, he will achieve big things.

Life is full of challenges. When elementary children are taught and practice perseverance, it prepares them for all the things that lie ahead not just academically but in all aspects of life.

How can you tell if your child has trouble with perseverance?

Goal-directed, persistent students are easy to identify at school.  They work hard to improve their grades and understand that things which are worthwhile are never easy.  They set goals and commit to them, never giving in to frustration or fearing failure.  They think positively and firmly believe that they can achieve anything they set their minds to do.

Some indicators of low perseverance include:

• Your child has trouble sticking with a task or activity.
• He gives up quickly after starting activities.
• Gets frustrated easily when difficulty arises.
• Needs your help, time, and encouragement to finish something he has started.
• He is always ready to compromise rather than work through challenges.

How can you help your child develop perseverance skills?

The first step you can take to foster perseverance in your child is by talking to him about the benefits of perseverance and telling him about some famous people who exemplify perseverance, such as Thomas Edison, Nelson Mandela and Albert Einstein. 

Then let him know of your high expectations for him and your commitment to support his efforts to learn.

Here are 10 ways to encourage perseverance in your child”

1. Appreciate him for who he is
   • Pay attention to and celebrate the areas in which he excels. After a while, his challenges won’t seem so big to him.
2. Focus on his strengths
3. Start small
   • Pick a small, easily achievable goal that he can accomplish.
4. Sincere praise
   • Praise his wins immediately – the action, not his intelligence, and affirm him to others in his presence.
5. Choose reasonable expectations
   • Maturation is a long process, so along with starting small, keep your expectations small.
6. Find the lesson
   • Teach your child to see every challenge as something to learn from.
7. Teach him how to plan ahead
   • Help him to organize his tasks from start to finish, using tools as simple as to-do lists and adding more details as he grows.
8. Display his growth
   • Track his improvement in a visible way.
9. Allow consequences
   • If he puts off his long-term project until the night before, let him experience the stress and failure that comes and learn about cause and effect.
10. Teach by example
    • Start new things and let your child see you practice the strategies you are teaching him. Let him see you struggle and overcome them by pushing through.

These skills develop over time and at different rates in individual children. Encourage your child to start new things then be patient with him as he stumbles, struggles and grows while implementing the tactics you are teaching him.

Persistent students understand the value of hard work, work to improve their problem-solving skills and take responsibility for their own academic progress.  They do not make excuses or blame others for their failures.

It is important to note that academic success does not depend on intelligence alone. Perseverance, or goal-directed persistence, will lead to achievements in every area of your child’s life. By helping your child develop perseverance through challenges you will be building a responsible and resilient adult.

What is your favorite tip or strategy for perseverance?