The learning methods and training details of Harvard's top students

Chapter 43 Always appreciating the child is the spark that stimulates his inner motivation (1)
(Harvard representative: Bill Gates) The most ardent need in human nature is the desire to be affirmed.

—John Dewey, professor of interpersonal studies at Harvard University
【Wonderful Guide】

Biography of Bill Gates
Bill Gates (1955～), born in Seattle, USA, his father is a well-known local lawyer.He was a brilliant student at school and known for being innovative; he once asserted that he would be a billionaire by the age of 25.

In 1970, Gates, who was studying at Harvard University, and his partner Paul Allen designed the Altair Basic interpreter for the Altair 8800 computer. Altair is the first commercially successful personal computer, and the BASIC language is an easy-to-use and easy-to-learn computer programming language. The BASIC version developed by Gates and Allen is the later Microsoft BASIC, which is also the MS-DOS operating system. foundation, which in turn was the key to Microsoft's early success. Microsoft Basic later became Microsoft Quick Basic, and gradually evolved into Visual Basic, which is still popular today.

In the early 20s, Gates shocked the computing world with his famous "Open Letter to Hobbyists".Gates declared that computer software will be a huge commercial market, and computer enthusiasts should not copy computer programs at will without the consent of the original author.The computer world at the time was influenced by the hacker culture, which believed that ideas and knowledge should be shared.Gates subsequently founded one of the most successful companies in the world - Microsoft Corporation, and gradually industrialized software.

In 1980, Gates was optimistic about the prospect of CD as a data storage medium, so he actively promoted CD-ROM.

In 2000, Gates appointed his longtime friend Steve Ballmer as Microsoft's chief executive and himself as "chief software architect."

According to the United States "Forbes" magazine statistics, Gates is the richest person in the world.His personal wealth is greater than the combined wealth of the poorest 50% of the world's population.

In 2004, the British Foreign Office announced that Bill Gates would be awarded the Knight Commander of the British Empire by the Queen of England in recognition of his outstanding contributions to British business development, employment, education and voluntary undertakings.The Order is the highest honor the Queen can bestow on a foreign citizen.

【Character Story】

The richest man in the world created by appreciation

Bill Gates' mother Mary is an ordinary teacher.She was the daughter of a banker, and her father's shrewd ability endowed her with vision and a challenging spirit.

Gates' achievements have attracted worldwide attention, and many young people around the world are crazy about it.In fact, his achievements are not accidental, which is closely related to his kind, intelligent and enlightened mother.She paid attention to and gave Gates a scientific family education since she was a child.When Gates was three or four years old, his mother, Mary, always took Gates with her when she went out, intending to educate him.When she explained the history of Seattle and museums to students at school, Gates always sat at the front of the classroom. Although Gates was an active child, he was more focused than other students in the classroom. serious.Mary often praised Gates for his seriousness and concentration, which also made Gates gradually learn to be focused and serious.

When Mary discovered that little Gates liked reading very much, she intended to buy various popular science books for him and often praised Gates for his seriousness in reading. At the age of 7, Gates was able to read through the "World Book Encyclopedia".He often read the encyclopedia continuously for hours, word by word from beginning to end.The strong interest in books and science is an important force for his efforts to develop and forge ahead.Gates' elementary school life was spent in public elementary schools in Seattle.When he was about to enter junior high, Mary began to worry about him.Because Gates is small and shy by nature, he is a child who needs protection very much. In addition, he has read a lot since he was a child, so his interest in learning is very different from that of children of the same age in the sixth grade.Therefore, after discussing with her husband, Mary decided to send him to a private middle school called Lakeside Middle School.This famous school may be able to satisfy his intellectual development.In this school, Gates came into contact with computers for the first time, and developed an interest in computers, which has been out of control ever since.

Gates' mother was very far-sighted. She appreciated the child's interest in computers, and helped the child understand this promising new thing, and pooled money to buy Gates a computer.Bill Gates soon became obsessed with computers, and eventually became the overlord of the computer software industry and the richest man in the world.

【Harvard view】

Recognition and praise are the sunshine that guides children to grow up healthily

Everyone needs approval and praise from society or others, especially for growing children, who are more eager to get the approval and praise of their parents and others.

Carl Witte was born in a village called Loch near Halle, Germany.Carl Witt was not only unintelligent when he was a child, but also congenitally deficient. He weighed no more than two kilograms when he was born, his hands and feet kept shaking, and his crying sounded like a poisoned mouse.Neighbors murmured behind his back that Carl Witter was an idiot.Even Carl Witt's mother said: "Such a child will not be successful in educating him, it is just a waste of effort."

However, Carl Witt's father, Sr. Witt, didn't think so. He was a man with unique insights. "You are a very smart, very good boy." This is the most used sentence in the education of Carl Witt by Old Witt.Whenever his son encounters difficulties and setbacks, he always uses this sentence to help his son get rid of his inner distress and rebuild his self-confidence.He believes that proper recognition and praise of children not only shows that he has confidence in the child, but also strengthens the child's confidence.

Whenever Carl Witt was in pain and lost, his father would say to him: "You can do it, I believe in you." Whenever Carl Witt did a good deed, his father would always praise him.At this time Carl Witt will always be beaming and full of confidence.Old Witt believes that as long as a child has a little merit, he should be recognized and praised without hesitation. Even if he does not do well in some places, he should not be sarcasm or irony.If a child does something wrong, as long as he can sincerely correct it, the father should let it go.In this way, encouragement when difficulties are encountered, recognition and praise when progress is made, and children will have more confidence.

When Carl Witter first learned to write, he had no confidence in his ability at all.When he handed his first essay to his father with trepidation, Witt Sr. noticed his severe restlessness, as if awaiting his father's judgment.After reading the article, Old Witt found that it was indeed a very bad article: the question was not explained clearly, the sentences were incomplete, and there were many typos.While Old Witt was silent, Carl Witt looked at his father with sad eyes.But he didn't expect that his father said something exciting to him: "Very good, this is your first time writing. Dad was far worse than you when he first started writing." Flashes of excitement.Soon, Carl Witt handed in a second article, which has made great progress compared with the first one.

Carl Witt had confidence in himself and studied hard.Before long, he was making a splash in the neighborhood.At the age of seven or eight, he was already able to use German, French, Latin and other six languages ​​freely, and he was proficient in physics and chemistry, and he was especially good at mathematics. At the age of 9, he was admitted to the University of Leipzig. The president of the university said: "Carl Witt already has the intelligence and learning ability that young people of eighteen or nineteen can't match." Witt was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree.Two years later, he received a doctorate in law and was appointed professor of law at the University of Berlin.Distinguished in his career.

Carl Witt's success should largely be attributed to his father's recognition and praise.It can be seen how important recognition and praise are to a child's growth.

Parents' recognition and praise are the best motivating tools for children. In the process of educating children, parents must learn to sincerely praise, encourage, and recognize. The most important thing is to learn to love, learn to tolerate, understand and appreciate, and put Dissatisfaction and grievances towards the child in the heart should be thrown away as much as possible.Parents who are full of approval and gratitude for their children are always sincere in praise and lenient in praising their children, and they always approve and praise their children more than hate and find fault.For children who have tried their best but still made mistakes, parents always give relief and even find something to praise, instead of criticizing them according to their own temperament.

Everyone has an inferiority complex, and recognition and praise are extremely important for a person to overcome inferiority complexes and build self-confidence.Recognition is a kind of affirmation to others, and praise is a further incentive based on affirmation.

Parents often give their children appropriate recognition and praise, which is the key to guiding children to grow up healthily, and plays a huge role in cultivating children's self-confidence.

When recognizing and praising children, parents should also be good at grasping their children's characteristics and characteristics, otherwise it will often backfire.For example, for a thin child, parents should never praise him for his physical strength. If he praises him in this way, the child will think that his parents are mocking him, and he himself will feel awkward, but parents can praise him for other advantages, such as hard work and willingness to help others. Wait.

In addition, parents also need to pay attention that recognition and praise are not flattery to children, let alone recognition and praise of children unprincipled.Although praise is an essential thing for a child's healthy growth, recognition and praise cannot be exaggerated arbitrarily and without bounds, but require certain methods and skills.

(End of this chapter)