A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunity

Success in life comes in large part from self-discipline and something the authors call “grit”—hard work and perseverance. A famous study done in the 1960s at Stanford University called the “marshmallow tests” gave children a choice between eating one marshmallow (placed in front of them) right away or getting a second marshmallow if they could wait 15 minutes. Those who waited went on to become better students, scoring higher on the SAT exam, for example. Brain scans have shown differences in the prefrontal cortex, the area that controls delayed gratification, between those who could wait for a second marshmallow and those who couldn’t.

Although brain development occurs early in life, some researchers have been searching for ways to teach delaying gratification and instilling grit. One approach has been the game of chess. Elizabeth Spiegel, a top American chess player, started a program at a poor school in Brooklyn, New York, that went on to become a powerhouse in nationwide tournaments. The game carries over into life, as the students learn the need for planning ahead and envisioning the path they want to follow. Programs like this teach kids that “they can grow up to be more than pawns” (100).

The authors write that “[i]n programs involving child poverty, we face a basic choice.