Tip of the Week: Three Keys to Learning Almost Anything
Here’s something to try at home with your elementary age children. Ask them this question:
“If you could receive one million dollars right now or a penny doubled every day for 30 days, which one would you choose?”
Some will take the “million dollars right now.” Others may sense this is a trick question. Regardless of what they answer, have them do the math of doubling the penny for 30 days to prove the answer. Here’s what they’ll see:
Day 1: $.01
Day 2: $.02
Day 3: $.04
Day 4: $.08
Day 5: $.16
Day 6: $.32
Day 7: $.64
Day 8: $1.28
Day 9: $2.56
Day 10: $5.12
Day 11: $10.24
Day 12: $20.48
Day 13: $40.96
Day 14: $81.92
Day 15: $163.84
Day 16: $327.68
Day 17: $655.36
Day 18: $1,310.72
Day 19: $2,621.44
Day 20: $5,242.88
Day 21: $10,485.76
Day 22: $20,971.52
Day 23: $41,943.04
Day 24: $83,886.08
Day 25: $167,772.16
Day 26: $335,544.32
Day 27: $671,088.64
Day 28: $1,342,177.28
Day 29: $2,684,354.56
Day 30: $5,368,709.12
I’ll bet you didn’t expect this outcome. I didn’t. Even by day 15, the penny had only grown to $163.84, a far cry from one million dollars.
Here are three lessons you can teach your children from this “doubling the penny” activity:
- Learning takes time and is often “slow going.”
- You have to be patient with yourself and the learning process.
- Mastery of the skill or subject content rarely happens without perseverance.
Teach your children that learning takes time, involves patience, and requires persistence.
That’s the tip of the week!
Curt Bumcrot, MRE
