Questions about Child Prodigies
If
child prodigies were never given the opportunity to discover their talents, would we know that they had the potential to excel? Is the same not true for young people who are very bright but not prodigies? By exposing a young person to as many physical activities, intellectual undertakings, and art forms as possible, you may find an area or areas where that child will excel. Even if the youngster doesn’t excel, she will still be better off for being exposed.
When we think of prodigies, men’s names often come to mind. One doesn’t hear the names of women as often. Lynn T. Goldsmith explores this and other issues in her paper titled
Girl Prodigies, Some Evidence and Some Speculations. Goldsmith cautions us when she states that
prodigies are notable for their rapid mastery, but not necessarily for their lifelong contributions to the field. Many prodigies burn out and do not make the contributions as adults that we expect. Conversely, most original adult contributors were not necessarily prodigies themselves.
Questions:
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Will a child naturally excel in an area or is it necessary to first expose him to that particular area of study?
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What is our obligation as adults to expose children to a wide variety of interests?
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Why are we far more aware of male prodigies than female prodigies?
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Since child prodigies don’t necessarily go on to produce as adults, does that make them just curiosities or something more important?