Genius children: what they are, what their characteristics are, and examples
Occasionally we hear about specific cases of children with great cognitive abilities, capable of great feats that surpass not only those of their peers but even those that an average adult would be able to do. Some of them have then come to perform great works throughout their lives, and have been classified and named as child geniuses.
But, What is a child genius? Let's see it throughout this article.
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What do we call child geniuses?
The child subject is considered a minor child, which throughout its development is characterized by manifest from an early age a cognitive ability superior to the average in at least one or several intellectual domains , being by definition super talented or talented, which manifests or crystallizes at some point in his life in the generation of some kind of work or product of great impact and creativity.
These children are characterized not only by their high intelligence in all or some areas, but also by a very high capacity for motivation and interest in learning and developing their knowledge. For this same motivation they tend to show a high commitment to this development, to the point that they tend to go beyond what others and even older and more experienced subjects do.
Another major factor to keep in mind is that genius children they also present a considerable level of creativity . It is these factors, and not only intelligence, that will contribute to the child's ability to develop and generate his work.
In fact, although formerly genius was the one who had an Intellectual Quotient of 180 or more, the finding that the IC is insufficient to explain and measure the real capacity of these minors, that people with a lower IQ have done great works showing a superior capacity and that there are many other influential factors that have changed that consideration.
Keep in mind that the name child genius should not be made in the absence of any work or product in which the subject crystallize their skills. And by work we do not necessarily mean something artistic , but it can also refer to a theory or conceptual framework in any of the sciences that is revolutionary or creative.
Also, it is common that like gifted children already from their first moments are often awake and curious (curiosity is something that is present in most geniuses children), as well as the fact that they have a great capacity for concentration. As well it is common for them to have academic problems and that they show an emotional control and a tolerance to frustration lower than average.
In some cases, this may predispose them to anxiety, depression and other similar problems, and it is not uncommon for them to be able to demonstrate good management skills and even leadership. They may show greater sensitivity and empathy towards their peers or the environment, although they may have difficulties in this regard (for example, genre children diagnosed with Asperger's are known).
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Differentiation with giftedness and precocious child
It is common that at a popular level it is considered that giftedness and genius are synonymous. But although they certainly have much in common (both have high cognitive abilities, high creativity and a strong intrinsic motivation), the truth is that they do not necessarily refer to the same reality: nor all the genius children have to be necessarily gifted (although it is the usual), nor all the gifted children are geniuses .
To begin to see the differences, it should be noted that the consideration of genius child depends on this throughout his life generate some kind of work that receives such consideration: although the existence of a talent or a giftedness may be visible in the performance In general, the genius of a child is not visible until it realizes a work that is valued to a great extent by society. In other words, it is necessary that its capacity be demonstrated de facto with a remarkable product. Thus, a gifted does not have to come to manifest genius.
In addition, we must bear in mind that the gifted child is characterized by having an IQ of at least two standard deviations above the average (specifically above 130), something that is manifested in most areas and types of intelligence.
The child genius also has a superior intellectual capacity, although it is not always necessary to show it in all areas: it is possible to be a genius in a particular type of intelligence . In this way a child genius can be gifted or talented (concept that implies an intelligence above 130 in one or several skills but not in the majority).
It is also important to distinguish between child genius and precocious child: the precocious child is the one who has advanced skills that would be appropriate to their age, something that although it is common in gifted and geniuses does not have to imply giftedness itself.
Examples
There are many examples of children who have been considered geniuses throughout history, among which some that can serve as an example are the following.
Pablo Ruiz Picasso
One of the best-known Spanish painters of modernity, Pablo Ruiz Picasso was also a child genius. This artist, who learned to paint with his father, He made his first work at eight years of age : The yellow picador.
Throughout his life this important painter and sculptor was developing different techniques and styles, and over time would break with the use of the perspective of the time to generate together George Braque his own style: Cubism.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
One of the most famous genius children is Mozart, the famous composer, who since he was five years old he had made various compositions that began to win the recognition of the court. In fact, his first symphony was composed at eight years of age. Educated by his father in music, from the earliest childhood he showed great interest in learning, and the great works in which the young
crystallized his skills throughout his life earned him the recognition of child genius.
Gregory R. Smith
Gregory Smith is the name of another child genius, although it may be a name not very well known, but the truth is that we are facing a young man who already has four nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize and who received the first one of them twelve years of age. I was already able to solve mathematical problems before two years of age , who graduated at nine years old in high school and at ten he began to pursue a career in Business Management.
This young He is also known as an international lecturer , and has fought to defend childhood and peace. He is also the founder and president of International Youth Advocates, which he created at the age of ten. Also, he has also studied mathematics (he is president of the Association of Mathematics of America), history and biology.
Bibliographic references:
- Sastre-Riba, S. (2008). Children with high abilities and their differential cognitive functioning. Journal of Neurology, 46 (Suppl 1): S11-S16.
- Tannenbaum, A.J. (1998). Programs for the gifted. To be or not to be. Journal for the Education of the Gifted; 22: 3-36
