Which is the better strategy? Is it to lift up your weaknesses or to push your strengths even further?
Of course, there is a question of relative effort. And motivation is big.
The problem as I see it for many of us and our kids is that there is basically very, very little accidental learning. It is largely about intentional (and powerful) learning. Motivation is critical for intentional learning. Synaptic, I'm glad you've hit on a motivational strategy for your son.
A common criticism is a lack of common sense. It took a long time for me to realize that "common sense" is an accumulation of rules of living that typical people learn in the course of experience. I was around thirteen when it dawned on me that I could apply intelligence and observation to social interactions. Apply being the operative word.
With DS7 we talk about specific observations and reason through social situations. Not something that ever happened with my parents, because they grew up accepting the auto-magic of that sort of accidental/experiential accumulated learning.
