When a child of a young age is especially intelligent, it is common for them to receive praise from nearly everyone they come in contact with. While most people would assume this would help the child and make them want to become more intelligent, it often has the reverse effect. Kids who are constantly told they are intelligent eventually become accustomed to it. They are so used to people praising aspects of schoolwork that they excel at, that they will often refuse to even try things that are more difficult for them.
This is one reason why kids who are good at math and initially struggle with English or spelling will continue to completely disregard language classes because they never put in the initial effort to learn the basics and fear the criticism of not being labeled intelligent.
Research suggests that instead of constantly telling children how intelligent they are, it is more useful to praise their effort. Intelligence in young children is impressive, yet if a child is constantly reminded of the fact they will think they do not need to work as hard because it comes naturally. Instead, emphasize the fact that it was a child’s effort, not their intelligence, that brought them to success and they will go much further in the long run!