Even Genius Kids Need Teachers
November 14, 2017
Geniuses are supposed to have the innate ability to quickly learn and apply information without being taught. It is almost like magic what they can do, but even with their awe-inspiring intellects, geniuses need their own mentors. The Independent wrote about a study that proved geniuses need guidance, “Psychologists Studies 5000 Genius Kids For 45 Years-Here Are Their 6 Takeaways.”
Started in 1971, the “Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth” (SMPY) followed 5000 American children with intelligence measured in the 0.01%, 0.1%, and 1% of all students. The study’s facilitators learned that the children led extraordinary lives that ranged from them being patent holders, they earned doctorates or graduate degrees, and are in the top 5% of income earners. One problem is that these children were often ignored by their teachers because they were already meeting their potential. Teachers had to spend more time helping lower students achieve their academic requirements.
They also learned that skipping a grade can help and intelligence is varied. The latter means that intelligence cannot be prepackaged, one size fits all, instead, it comes in different forms. Also despite how much they are loathed, standardized tests do have some predictive ability to measure genius kids success in life. Perhaps the most interesting factoid is something that is taught in business classes, mindfulness, and other life coaching strategies:
The psychologist Carol Dweck has found that successful people tend to keep what’s known as a “growth mindset” as opposed to a “fixed mindset.” They view themselves as fluid, changing beings that can adapt and grow — they are not static.
SMPY agrees with that assessment, but it also has found that the earliest signs of cognitive ability in kids can predict how well they’ll do later in life, ignoring all the practice that may or may not come in between.
Genius kids are valuable as individuals and their intellect can help the world, but the bigger problem is trying to find ways to help them achieve when the rest of the world is trying to catch up.
Whitney Grace, November 14, 2017
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