general knowledge 9 yr olds

Mojisola

mgdavid wrote: »

I don't regard either of your examples as 'general' knowledge' - least of all learning Italian..

ViolaLass wrote: »

I put that in to make the point that it's different for different people. I wouldn't care if my child couldn't tell me who the Prime Minister is, but if they couldn't speak my mother tongue, I would know I had done something wrong.

Teaching your children your mother tongue may be very important but it's knowledge rather than general knowledge.

General knowledge would be knowing that what languages are spoken in other countries.

balletshoes

Dunroamin wrote: »

Sorry, I find the idea that 13 year olds at a grammar school don't know who the Prime Minister is quite shocking and the fact that one of their teachers doesn't think it matters even more so!

why? it will all have changed by the time the child is of voting age anyway. If you're interested in politics, you'll know that stuff, if you're not, you won't - whether you're an adult or a child.

I agree with those who have said get your children to watch or read the news to help with their general knowledge. Along with talking to them, engaging them in conversation about what you're interested in at the time, as well as what they're interested in. That way you both learn a bit . We google quite a bit in this household when a subject comes up and we want to learn a bit more about it - it can be done in a very short time and because its of interest at that time to us, we retain it.

Dunroamin

balletshoes wrote: »

why? it will all have changed by the time the child is of voting age anyway. If you're interested in politics, you'll know that stuff, if you're not, you won't - whether you're an adult or a child.

I agree with those who have said get your children to watch or read the news to help with their general knowledge. Along with talking to them, engaging them in conversation about what you're interested in at the time, as well as what they're interested in. That way you both learn a bit . We google quite a bit in this household when a subject comes up and we want to learn a bit more about it - it can be done in a very short time and because its of interest at that time to us, we retain it.

I wasn't the poster who mentioned voting, I don't think that this is what it's about.

I can't agree with your comment

" If you're interested in politics, you'll know that stuff, if you're not, you won't"

Knowing the name of the PM is hardly in depth political knowledge that you only know if you're interested in politics - for a 13 year old it's really basic and not knowing it would show that the child involved never even watched the news.

Aquiring knowledge often starts with learning about things that interest you but also needs to extend to things that don't, even if in less depth.

toshkininny

angelil wrote: »

Lizard Planet is a good website for games that build general knowledge (e.g. flags/maps of the world).

just tried googling that, does seem to come up. Is it still around, do you know?

sooty&sweep

TV can be an excellent source of general knowledge.
We often sit and watch factual based programmes with our children.
Jen

neverdespairgirl

building_with_lego wrote: »

What are you interested in? Do pop quizzes for your children and family- we tested each other on the Premiership football grounds after lunch today, which led OH and our boy child to list the managers too. OH will often test both children (9 and 6) on the Chelsea players' nationalities or numbers too :yawn:

I don't think I know a single football ground or manager. I very much doubt OH does, either, and our 8 year old son probably doesn't have a clue!

On the other hand, when we talk about a place, we usually look it up on the map or on a globe, so his geography's OK.

neverdespairgirl

toshkininny wrote: »

Thanks for your replies.


I asked the question because I was surprised that she didn't know something - then realised it wasn't really something that they would cover at school and that it was my responsibility to teach her, and it made me wish she'd ask me more questions at home than she does!

What was it, do you mind me asking?

bylromarha

My 9 year old is a sponge. He knows more general knowledge than I give him credit for.

He even corrected me the other day on a general knowledge fact - and went to show me his evidence base.

I'd advise instead of trying to teach facts, teach your 9 year old how to access the answers to questions they have. Show that you don't always have the answers and include your child in the thinking process of solving the problem.

esmf73

You could try a subscription to Aquila magazine. My mother in law gave one as a gift to my children a few years ago and as my now 8 yr old has got interested in it, we have renewed his subscription for Christmas. It's not cheap at £45 ish, but is very interesting.

Big_Bad_Dad

toshkininny wrote: »

... a website that shows what sort of general knowledge a 9 yr old should know.

Nine is bang in the middle of a precarious period, I mean we all know what child in his first two years of education should know, and what by the time of leaving school he ought to know. But nine? There must be so much variation across the population. They're certainly capable of grasping facts which you would associate with an intelligent adult and between all nine-year olds, they know just about everything! At the same time, no single nine-year old can know it all, and it is not necessarily a shortcoming on his part if he doesn't. At nine I knew most of the things I know now and was yet a bad-performing pupil in class, many factors must be taken into account.

Have you thought of going onto Youtube and watching uploads of that programme, "Are you smarter than a ten-year old?" presented by Noel Edmonds? Maybe for the purpose of a difficult game the kids are cherry-picked among the best performers in British schools, perhaps more goes on behind the cameras than we presume, and it could even be that what one child knows is only what his class once touched upon in brief thus not reflecting true common knowledge among the age group. I honestly don't know!

It can be worrying if the nine-year old from next door blurts out information you believe to be beyond your child's capacity but it is probable that this can be countered by something else. Knowledge is where the heart is, it develops as a result of enthusiasm, thus we all have our favourite topics as well as our least favourite which is where we falter. I am sure than for nine-year olds it is exactly the same.