Some parents may be able to recognize the characteristics of children who have above average intelligence. In fact, quite a few have known about it since early childhood, Mother.
Children who have average intelligence are often called geniuses. Well, the term genius refers to someone with extraordinary intellectual or creative powers. Psychologists in the early 1900s were the first to measure and define genius in terms of a person’s intelligence quotient (IQ).
Quoting from Web MD, there is actually no single definition of genius. However, many doctors have studied highly intelligent or gifted children to better understand genius. They define genius as a wealth of originality, creativity, and the ability to imagine or think in new ways and areas.
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Characteristics of children who have above average intelligence
A child’s intelligence that is above average can be seen from several things, Mother. HaiBunda has summarized the following from various sources, 7 characteristics of children who have above average intelligence or are geniuses:
1. Asynchronous development
Can your young child do simple tasks such as tying shoelaces or does he often forget to remember when to brush his teeth? These are just a few examples of developments that are not synchronized, or progress more quickly in one area than in another. This condition usually occurs in children who have above average intelligence.
Reported by CNBC, an 8 year old child who is said to be a genius can already show reading skills like a grade 7 student, math skills like a grade 5 student, social skills at grade level, and good emotional regulation.
2. Have an excellent memory
Being able to retain information is the most important part of the ability to understand and process. Very intelligent children tend to have excellent memories in storing information.
If your child quickly understands new words and reminds you of forgotten tasks or events, then they most likely have above average intelligence. For example, Mother and Little One are at the market or supermarket and are about to pay, Little One suddenly says, “Mommy, didn’t you say you wanted to buy nutmeg powder for additional seasoning yesterday?”
The ability to memorize and store information easily will be included in the child’s ability to learn various things quickly.
Characteristics of Smart and Genius Children/ Photo: iStockphoto
3. Have more intense emotional reactions
Neuroscientists argue that gifted children experience more intense emotional reactions to the world around them. For example, they may have difficulty enjoying shows where the characters are often hurt or sad.
Many of them also have a high sense of justice and can experience frustration and disappointment when they feel the situation is not right. Yes, because of asynchronous development as explained previously, they may not yet have the emotional regulation skills to control these big feelings.
4. Ask unusual questions
Gifted children often have high curiosity and are never satisfied, especially regarding the existential aspects of life. They may care more about issues such as death, poverty, climate change, and injustice than their peers.
Even in films or books that address the topic of bullying, gifted children tend to be critical and may ask questions about how to overcome it.
5. Full of creative ideas
Does your child like to imagine or express creative ideas?
Highly intelligent or genius children have broad and often very creative imaginations, which lead them to develop abstract and complex ideas.
6. Have unique interests
Genius children also usually take an interest in unique things. For example, there are children at a young age who can make puns from chemistry lessons or study mass transportation maps in big cities.
Parents sometimes worry that their child will miss out on their childhood or not ‘be a kid’ if they develop these unique interests. In fact, these children can be geniuses because they have a more advanced understanding of a topic than children their age.
7. Underachievement at school
Believe it or not, gifted children usually tend to do less well at school, Mother. This is because they crave constant mental stimulation.
At school, genius and talented children usually get bored easily because they learn faster than their friends. When school is not challenging or interesting enough, they may lose motivation. Even though they can do the job easily, if they don’t see a goal, then they will stop trying.
Recognizing children’s talents and interests from an early age is important, Mother. Not only to determine children’s intelligence, but also to hone their abilities so that they grow and develop optimally.
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(aci/ank)