Child Genius

FBaby

Another advantage of the G&T register, in the way that it gets these children together in specific activities is that it allows for the kids to be themselves.

My experience is that G&T pupils who are well behaved are often expected to help their fellow pupils. Whereas this is a good thing, and my DD did appreciate that role, it can sometimes becomes a bit overwhelming. Working in groups, my DD is expected not to go to fast, not to give all the answers, not to lead etc... It is nice for her when joining G&T activities that she can just go for it and not hold back for the sake of the others. A bit of competition at times has also been valuable.

Her school has just announced who will be presented for awards. The rule is that no children can have more than two which I think is fair so everyone has got a chance and it makes for the evening presentation a bit more interesting.

Dunroamin

FBaby wrote: »

Another advantage of the G&T register, in the way that it gets these children together in specific activities is that it allows for the kids to be themselves.

My experience is that G&T pupils who are well behaved are often expected to help their fellow pupils. Whereas this is a good thing, and my DD did appreciate that role, it can sometimes becomes a bit overwhelming. Working in groups, my DD is expected not to go to fast, not to give all the answers, not to lead etc... It is nice for her when joining G&T activities that she can just go for it and not hold back for the sake of the others. A bit of competition at times has also been valuable.

Her school has just announced who will be presented for awards. The rule is that no children can have more than two which I think is fair so everyone has got a chance and it makes for the evening presentation a bit more interesting.

It's a terrible indictment of the current education system that special groups should need to be set up so that bright children don't have to dumb themselves down all the time and even when they exist, they're for such a small amount of the school week.

raq

Lou67 wrote: »

I have seen this now on catch-up.

Have to say that I felt quite sorry for a couple of them, especially the one who got 'stage fright' and got zero in the 'quiz,' and then his mother pushed him into the next round. (he was the one who liked chess.)

Hugo was just dreadful and called everyone who was not as 'intelligent' as him 'stupid.' I also think he displayed odd behavioural issues.

And the lad whose dad was formerly with the Hong Kong police didn't seem to have any kind of life outside studying and learning.

They are CHILDREN FGS! I can't imagine one single one of these children growing up and thanking their parents for what they have been doing (pushing them so severely.) I also noticed that the pushy parents had other children (mostly younger,) who were basically ignored. I felt sorry for them more than the 'clever' child.

Dreadful. Absolutely dreadful. Lord knows what these children will be like when they're adults. Most of them oozed arrogance and superiority.

I too felt exactly the same

tyllwyd

I'm still very confused by the whole idea of the 'Child genius' competition in the first place. Why do Mensa even run the competition? What positive result comes out of labelling a child as a 'genius' anyway? What happens to the children whose hopes are raised by entering the competition but who don't win? I can imagine it would be a pretty big knock to your confidence (like the little boy whose sister went through and he didn't).

My kids are at state schools, and being singled out as 'the child genius' would be social suicide - and maybe sets up expectations around you that you could never meet.

lostinrates

tyllwyd wrote: »

I'm still very confused by the whole idea of the 'Child genius' competition in the first place. Why do Mensa even run the competition? What positive result comes out of labelling a child as a 'genius' anyway? What happens to the children whose hopes are raised by entering the competition but who don't win? I can imagine it would be a pretty big knock to your confidence (like the little boy whose sister went through and he didn't).

My kids are at state schools, and being singled out as 'the child genius' would be social suicide - and maybe sets up expectations around you that you could never meet.

But this aspect of competition is no different from advanced level competitive sports and music for children.

FBaby

Dunroamin wrote: »

It's a terrible indictment of the current education system that special groups should need to be set up so that bright children don't have to dumb themselves down all the time and even when they exist, they're for such a small amount of the school week.

I don't know if it is the case for all schools, but certainly been my experience. DD was not allowed to do a level 6 SATS paper at end of year 6, so got a 5a level, although her teacher said she expected her to be a 6c, maybe a 6b level. When she started in year 7, pupils were not in sets. To start with, it took until after Christmas for children to be assessed and therefore recognised as struggling or needing to be more challenged. I couldn't believe that during all these months, my DD was doing the same work that my son in Y4 (in the high math set) was doing too. Once her abilities were recognised, assessed as a 6a level, and following the first parent/teacher evening, she was given a bit more individual attention, but as her teacher said, she could only do so much whilst teacher a class with levels ranging from 3c to 6a! I couldn't blame her because she genuinely tried to give my DD some personal attention when she could whilst most pupils were still doing work and my DD was finished, but really it wasn't ideal.

This year she is in set, so it is a bit better in that what she learns are usually new concepts to her. The issue is that she will finish before everyone else, and only needs one lesson when the rest of the class need a few to get full understanding of the lesson. Ideally, she would need an accelerated class, but that doesn't exist.

I don't blame her school because let's face it, it is not private and they can only do so much to support all their pupils. I also appreciate that they would focus on pupils who are struggling then the other way around. DD teacher's has said that she is certain she will get an A* at GSCEs as as most of her other teachers, so I can't really expect more. She is happy and well integrated, does get a bit bored at times, but not to the extent of affecting her work or attitude. The blessing this year has been that she has the same teachers she had last year in all main subjects, so knowing her, they were able to provide a bit more support from the start. They are also very good teachers and that makes the whole difference.

I do however think that it is not the norm for similar pupils to be thriving in this system. Many very bright kids end up disruptive, whilst others just don't show what they are capable of, happy to sit back and do just the minimum. It is these pupils who would really benefit from separate teaching at least to some level. The problem is that sets can only be set up to meet teacher's set-up, with some equal numbers of pupils in each set. This means that my DD is in the same set than some pupils with levels the equivalent of a year to 2 years below). Ideally, a group would be set for pupils with similar levels, even if it means a class of only 10 pupils max.

Dunroamin

FBaby wrote: »

I don't know if it is the case for all schools, but certainly been my experience. DD was not allowed to do a level 6 SATS paper at end of year 6, so got a 5a level, although her teacher said she expected her to be a 6c, maybe a 6b level. When she started in year 7, pupils were not in sets. To start with, it took until after Christmas for children to be assessed and therefore recognised as struggling or needing to be more challenged. I couldn't believe that during all these months, my DD was doing the same work that my son in Y4 (in the high math set) was doing too. Once her abilities were recognised, assessed as a 6a level, and following the first parent/teacher evening, she was given a bit more individual attention, but as her teacher said, she could only do so much whilst teacher a class with levels ranging from 3c to 6a! I couldn't blame her because she genuinely tried to give my DD some personal attention when she could whilst most pupils were still doing work and my DD was finished, but really it wasn't ideal.

This year she is in set, so it is a bit better in that what she learns are usually new concepts to her. The issue is that she will finish before everyone else, and only needs one lesson when the rest of the class need a few to get full understanding of the lesson. Ideally, she would need an accelerated class, but that doesn't exist.

I don't blame her school because let's face it, it is not private and they can only do so much to support all their pupils. I also appreciate that they would focus on pupils who are struggling then the other way around. DD teacher's has said that she is certain she will get an A* at GSCEs as as most of her other teachers, so I can't really expect more. She is happy and well integrated, does get a bit bored at times, but not to the extent of affecting her work or attitude. The blessing this year has been that she has the same teachers she had last year in all main subjects, so knowing her, they were able to provide a bit more support from the start. They are also very good teachers and that makes the whole difference.

I do however think that it is not the norm for similar pupils to be thriving in this system. Many very bright kids end up disruptive, whilst others just don't show what they are capable of, happy to sit back and do just the minimum. It is these pupils who would really benefit from separate teaching at least to some level. The problem is that sets can only be set up to meet teacher's set-up, with some equal numbers of pupils in each set. This means that my DD is in the same set than some pupils with levels the equivalent of a year to 2 years below). Ideally, a group would be set for pupils with similar levels, even if it means a class of only 10 pupils max.

What a shame for your daughter that we no longer have grammar schools and what a waste of intellectual resource for the country as a whole. It's so depressing what's happened to our educational system.:(

an9i77

I wouldn't go so far to say I was a genius, but as a child I had a very high IQ (still do I hope!) and went to a special school for 'gifted children' on a saturday. However despite this intellectual intelligence, I was lonely, friendless and bored for much of my childhood. My mum prioritised intellectual advancement over social development, most of the time I just wanted to be normal.
Now I have my own child, so long as he does ok at school I don't mind too much whether he is the best in the class or not so long as he is happy and socially well adjusted.

I didn't watch the programme but from what people say I feel sorry for some of the kids.

tesuhoha

Well, I have watched the latest episode of this programme and I now think that Hugo is so awful that I like him. He really made me laugh, is a tremendous character and also a very bright kid. He acts disgracetfully towards his mother but I think its all part of the joke. He won't be told what to do by anyone. Some of the other children I felt sorry for.

Wine_of_the_World

I loved Hugo too – he was by far the brightest there –I have to agree with him that memorising a whole pack of cards is one of the dullest things I could think of! I know the program tried to portray him as arrogant, and I’m not saying he isn’t (but he’s only 11 and on a show called ‘child genius’ so partly I think he’s playing to the show) but I think he also had an excellent point about enjoying half term, having a great time skiing instead of being stuck inside swatting for a test. There was a clear difference between him, with very high ‘natural intelligence’ if that’s what its called – and others who were very heavily coached.
Felt sorry for the girl who just studied and studied and didn’t seem to have a life outside of studying, and then didn’t make it through anyway.