[Discussion] Your opinion on child prodigies?

Akаsh

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I'd like you guys to watch a set of brief videos...














What do you guys think?
I like Tim the most (the kid who can speak 20 languages), because his attitude is the best i find among them, and has a way to attract people and develop a sense of liking towards him.. kinda like Naruto xd but in a smarter way...
Most of these prodigies are great and all.. but some of 'em have disadvantages too... for example, lack of socialization with people of similar age..
and I'm not really sure about this, (I've only heard of it from friends and read in books), that scientists fear that prodigies might have trouble with their brains as they might exhaust them too much once they reach adulthood, which may lead to bad consequences..

What do you guys think? ^^

#imjealous
 

GhostProject

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My opinion? If you have a child who shows prodigious skill, nurture the hell out of whatever HE shows interest in. Just do it, he'll do the rest. Also, get him the hell out of his own grade, the majority will attempt to suppress him otherwise. Get him in a private school made for this stuff, public schools have no idea how to handle those far ahead of the curve.

I'll tell you what I know. Burning out happens quick if you leave these kids with their same age peers. Their age group will grow resentment for those that are different, and if that kid doesn't have a private school made for prodigies such as these, the public schools will treat them as a pariah and the problem in bullying situations.

I absolutely envy these kids in particular. I can only imagine the support and guidance from their parents and proper schooling they might have received. Good for them. **** the kids their age, these kids are finding their success NOW.
 

Aim64C

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Child prodigies often have the problem of being built upon a house of cards.

Can the kid who speaks 20 languages -really- speak 20 languages fluently? I'm not saying that he can't, or that he should be discouraged - but that there are a -lot- of differences and similarities between languages that make truthfully learning them a down-and-dirty business involving immersion.

What I see happen quite often is that kids are pumped up on 'hype' over their early grasp of concepts that adults consider 'advanced' - but the child lacks a 'fleshing out' of these concepts and skills.

For all the child prodigies of 20 years ago, where are they, now?

It's kind of like how people get so amazed over the fact that pets seem to understand what they say. Of course they do - do you think they are stupid?

Similarly, with kids - of course they will learn and grasp concepts that are sometimes very advanced that other kids do not show an interest in until much later (or see as something they 'have' to learn - IE -they don't really find the subject appealing).

The challenge for adults is to have enough discipline to not piss themselves in excitement but to properly nurture the interest into a more solid framework that will prepare the kid for the time when they do encounter substantive challenges to their skills.

The adult has to have enough wisdom to see that a rapid grasp of concepts does not inherently produce a future of boundless success. They must help temper the child, and tempering is important. The most advanced of alloys can be ruined by an improper temper and the most humble of alloys can form the strongest of tools with the proper temper.
 
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SIR HERDERP PRESIDERP SDO

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They are fascinating children, but most of them fade into obscurity when they reach adulthood like William James Sidis, fortunately some child prodigies develop successful careers when they grew up like Mozart, Leibniz, Gauss, Terry Tao, etc.
 
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