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Original poster

What does 'bright' mean?

99 replies

HeartofAss · 10/05/2023 21:07

I'm not English, help me out. I'm confused about what 'bright' means.

I thought it meant clever, but here are a few things I've seen on mumsnet:

  • "My DD is very bright but she never would have passed the 11+"
  • "He is often described as very bright, but his IQ is actually quite low."
  • "My dd is a bright child (not exceptionally so, I think, but definitely intelligent), but she seems to have a lot of trouble getting work finished at school. Her teachers have been telling me she's slow since she was in nursery"
  • "I too have a bright child who isn’t achieving at school (besides reading)."
  • "All children are bright, he might not be academically bright but there will be other areas where he'll shine"
  • "My 8 year old is extremely bright but dyslexic."
  • "My ds is very bright (cat scores of 136), but we didn't tutor and he isn't having much success in the 11+ exam"

It seems to mean something a bit like intelligent, but not quite the same thing and definitely not the same thing as doing well at school?

What is it that children do that would be 'bright', if it isn't being quick or clever or good academically or having a high IQ?

OP posts:
SweetSakura · 10/05/2023 21:52

I've come to the conclusion everyone thinks their own child is "bright" Wink

spicypringles · 10/05/2023 22:18

IncompleteSenten · 10/05/2023 21:41

Intelligent.

However, academic intelligence is not the only type of intelligence.

Bright covers all forms.

Yes, I agree. Bright, to me, describes a way of being in all of life, it's a character trait and not linked to school, studying, specific subjects etc.

SLagoon · 10/05/2023 22:18

I would say my daughter is bright - she is top of class without too much effort. She might be in the top 5% of her year group.

I would say my friend's son is gifted not bright as he is incredibly intelligent and apparently works several years beyond the curriculum. He would be in the top 0.1% nationally (according to his IQ).

SLagoon · 10/05/2023 22:19

Having said that a gifted child may not always be performing well in school settings.

Original poster
HeartofAss · 10/05/2023 22:20

I am more confused than ever 😀

OP posts:
Peppadog · 10/05/2023 22:32

True. Can't remember the last time I heard someone say 'my child is dim' 🤣

Original poster
HeartofAss · 12/05/2023 10:04

I've just seen another example... "My son is bright but doesn't often 'get' the work set in class straight away, has to ask for explanations repeatedly, gets frustrated and is getting really upset about it."

OP posts:
MasterBeth · 12/05/2023 10:16

I don't understand your confusion. The American equivalent would be smart.

You can be smart but not good at IQ tests (because IQ tests check for a particular and restricted kind of intellgence) or smart but not achieving at school (for all kinds of reasons, from undiagnosed poor eyesight or bad teachers or being neurodiverse) or smart but dyslexic.

CornflakesOnTheSolesOfHerShoes · 12/05/2023 10:25

PP who said that you wouldn’t describe an adult as bright - I think that’s generally true, but my mum sometimes describes other adults as “not very bright”, which shocked me as a child as I assumed grown-ups were bright by default!

user50316 · 12/05/2023 10:31

Talkwhilstyouwalk · 10/05/2023 21:26

Switched on and capable. It's actually quite an old fashioned term.....

Yes, exactly this. And I know lots of academically clever children (and adults) but who aren't very bright!! 😂

bruffin · 12/05/2023 10:40

HeartofAss · 12/05/2023 10:04

I've just seen another example... "My son is bright but doesn't often 'get' the work set in class straight away, has to ask for explanations repeatedly, gets frustrated and is getting really upset about it."

But some people are slow on the uptake but when they get the fly.

titchy · 12/05/2023 10:42

HeartofAss · 12/05/2023 10:04

I've just seen another example... "My son is bright but doesn't often 'get' the work set in class straight away, has to ask for explanations repeatedly, gets frustrated and is getting really upset about it."

It means the kid isn't bright at all and the parent is deluded!

SparklyBlackKitten · 12/05/2023 10:43

I would assume smart/clever

Garethkeenansstapler · 12/05/2023 10:44

bridgetreilly · 10/05/2023 21:10

Lots of those examples are just deluded parents, tbh. Bright children are clever, curious, interested in lots of things and would be expected to do well at school unless they have a learning difficulty such as dyslexia or ADHD.

Yep. Everyone describes their child as bright, even though most must be average

Garethkeenansstapler · 12/05/2023 10:47

SLagoon · 10/05/2023 22:19

Having said that a gifted child may not always be performing well in school settings.

Well they would otherwise they wouldn’t be bright would they? They might be practical or eloquent or whatever but not ‘bright’.

maranella · 12/05/2023 10:48

Bright = intelligent.

However, some forms of intelligence don't translate well to the way DC are tested in school. As previously said, dyslexia and other SENs can mask intelligence. A DC can be very intelligent, but if they can't write their ideas down neatly and coherently, their intelligence won't be obvious to an examiner. They might have a wonderful imagination though, be able to come up with great ideas, be creative or artistic, innovative or bold, musical or extremely savvy. Some bright people are also lazy, so while they're naturally intelligent and pick things up quickly, they may not put the work in to rote learn it the way you need to in order to pass exams.

bruffin · 12/05/2023 11:00

titchy · 12/05/2023 10:42

It means the kid isn't bright at all and the parent is deluded!

Show quote history

My DS could be like that, but once he got it he surpassed the rest of the class.
He was top set in secondary, won an Arkwright scholarship and is doing really well in his career

GiraffeLaSophie · 12/05/2023 11:07

Oysterbabe · 10/05/2023 21:10

It means switched on, quick thinking, curious. It doesn't necessarily mean academically brilliant.

I would agree with this.

I also don’t think I could class someone with no general knowledge as ‘bright’, no matter how well they did in exams/at school. It just seems to show a bit of a lack of interest in the world?

NeverDropYourMooncup · 12/05/2023 11:15

Imagine you have two children, both meeting expected targets for their year group.

It's Friday evening after a long, tiring week at work and school and the living room looks a mess. You're busy cleaning the kitchen.

When you walk back in the room, hoping to be able to sit down with a cuppa, you see that the youngest has spotted that a drinks bottle was leaking in their bag and taken it out, tipped the remaining drink away in the bathroom, rinsed the bottle and put it on the side in the bathroom where it can't do any damage, taken the reading and spelling books, PE kit and other items out of the bag and has put the bag on a towel in the bath so it doesn't get anywhere else wet and stained.

The other's drinks bottle was also leaking. They've put the bag on the sofa and because it's still leaking, they've picked up an armful of clean washing and pushed it against the bag, which is still full - and not thought taking their phone out of the same pocket where the bottle is leaking might make a difference.

The 'brighter' one has observed, reacted and anticipated further consequences to ensure minimal negative results from a leak. The other has got as far as 'the bag is wet, fabric will soak up some of the wet'.

They're both kids, neither is below average for their age - but one demonstrates intellectual skills beyond the purely academic.

Legomania · 12/05/2023 11:24

@NeverDropYourMooncup

Depending on the ages of the children, either one is showing practical skills above and beyond what might be expected, or one is showing practical skills that are not in keeping with their intellect

ExpatInSlavikLand · 12/05/2023 12:46

bridgetreilly · 10/05/2023 21:10

Lots of those examples are just deluded parents, tbh. Bright children are clever, curious, interested in lots of things and would be expected to do well at school unless they have a learning difficulty such as dyslexia or ADHD.

I'm afraid Bridget's right - not many parents would be happy to admit that their child just isn't particularly clever.

ItsMyRain · 12/05/2023 12:52

Great thread, reading with interest.

All MC children are bright 😉.

ItsMyRain · 12/05/2023 13:25

SLagoon · 10/05/2023 22:18

I would say my daughter is bright - she is top of class without too much effort. She might be in the top 5% of her year group.

I would say my friend's son is gifted not bright as he is incredibly intelligent and apparently works several years beyond the curriculum. He would be in the top 0.1% nationally (according to his IQ).

I would say my daughter is bright - she is top of class without too much effort. She might be in the top 5% of her year group
Out of interest, how do you know?

Talkwhilstyouwalk · 12/05/2023 13:36

According to the dictionary bright means intelligent and quick-witted. The opposite of stupid.

lurcherlove · 12/05/2023 13:45

I don’t think bright is really the same as clever. My husband is very clever, has great recall for facts and figures, can read very quickly and absorb all the info, is incredibly academically able. I am good at problem solving, I’m quick-witted, creative, can take the initiative. I am not academic, and don’t have the good recall of facts and figures, but I’m still intelligent. That’s what I’d call bright.