When I was in the first grade, the reading groups were the Red Birds, Blue Birds, and Green Birds.
I was in the Red Birds.
I figured out that the Blue Birds were the high reading group, and I definitely wanted to be in it.
So I made sure I read really well in my group, and sure enough the teacher promoted me into the Blue Birds group.
The first time in there, she told me to read down to the end of the next paragraph. I didn't know what a paragraph was but guessed it must be where the space came. I was right. I stayed in the high reading group.
Why I was so motivated I'm not sure. For one thing, my parents expected me to be the best and to do well. Also I was very important to them, and this tended to elevate my self-esteem. Environment certainly affects motivation. I don't know how much it affects intelligence or functioning intelligence.
I don't know why I had such a high IQ.
It's possible that my parents influenced it positively when I was an infant.
Maybe it's a matter of DNA.
I think it has something to do with spirituality. I have always known of an extremely intimate connection with God and Spiritual Masters. I think I can remember this connection before birth. I can certainly remember being a child less that a year old--very well. And I know that this connection will become even clearer after this life. The connection has never been separated. I've always felt that I was only partly in this life but mostly living among Spiritual Masters, whom I'm with constantly despite the distractions of this world.
Back around 1950 in our grade school it was the red star, green star and gold star groups. I was green, but didn't really aspire to "go for the gold' because the teacher did not make a big deal of it. There were probably 40 or more kids in the class, too.