Are any of your children super clever?

[QuickTraybake]

I was a very good reader and mathematician from a young age. DS aged 7, he excels in everything at school. In reception he could count to 100. He is currently the best mathematician in his class and is a fantastic reader. He has recently received his “pen license” whatever that was. He is also great at history and exceptional at sports.
Are any of your kids like this or better?

DCs didn't stand out in primary but they are summer born. DC1 got 4xA* in A Levels and is about to get a 1st in a STEM subject at a top uni.

No, just yours OP. All hail Mini Traybake!

Round here most kids can count to 100 by about 3.
My eldest was bright but has slowed down. They are just not that interested.

Children who do well are self motivated. As state schools wont pudh them.

If you want to boast on MN, op, it’s best to use a modicum of stealth. This is a bit too in-your-face!
For example:
’I’ve been told by ds’s teacher that
<insert huge outrageous boast here>. It’s taken me by surprise as we didn’t think ds stood out academically in any way….’

Yes my DS top at everything. Now has a first class masters in mathematics and computing. Doesn’t have a job yet.

You could try the Gifted and Talented board, but I must warn you that counting to 100 in YR wouldn't stand out there.

Is your child at a normal state school with 30 per class or top independent because top of the class at those kinds of schools will be worlds apart.

My kids were average in Reception (state school, 30 kids in class ) and could manage to count to 100 by the end of the year. They could count to 100 in evens and odds too.

Most kids can count to 100 in reception?
If l put a video on of my Grandson age 2 counting to 100 .. I'd be bragging.. but we didn't know then he had ASD. He's nine and just completed Maths on line aimed at 13 year olds.( He's home educated .. so no one to compare with).
But being ASD .. maths is one of his passions.

I hate to break it to you OP, but counting to 100 in reception is a little bit above average but in no way exceptional, and pen licences are part of a carrot and stick approach used by teachers to get compliant behaviour, and signify nothing.
Counting backwards from 100 in 7's, continuing into negative numbers, would be rather more unusual.

Primary school is mainly a memory test imo. I've got a good memory and it got me through to A Level with minimal effort!

DS1 was very obviously bright and geeky. DS2 was in the lowest sets at primary school and was way behind in writing and maths until Yr 6.

Both ended up with First Class degrees from top universities.

Not words I'd use but the teacher gave my younger son a GCSE maths paper in year 2 and I think he got around 75%.

Fast forward 10 years and my less naturally academic child got better GCSE results by sheer graft. His younger brother got good results but is disorganised, poor at taking feedback and prone to cruising. My point being that early academic potential doesn't really mean anything in the wider scheme of things. I've seen a similar path for other kids who excelled in the early years; it mostly evens out by exam time and motivation/emotional intelligence are just as important in terms of 'success'.

Unless they go into something particularly academic, my older son has better skills for the workplace (partly as his brother is overconfident and always thinks he's right!).

My ds was pretty average in primary school. He always loved reading but was less enthusiastic about class.

Now prepping for GCSEs he's very good at Maths and Physics both of which he'll do at A'level.

He certainly doesn't get it from me. I gave up Physics in disgust when I was 13. 😁

🤣🤣🤣
It won’t necessarily follow through…..

"the teacher gave my younger son a GCSE maths paper in year 2 and I think he got around 75%"

of course they did.

Nothing you have said makes me think your child is gifted. All my children have been like that.

Oh god you've done it now op. You're about to be humbled by a load of mumsnetters who's kids could count to 100 in the womb....

My kids are bright, but suck at sports, and DS2 is lazy when he can't see the point/isn't interested in something.

It's just one thing about them though, neither here nor there in the grand scheme - like I tell the kids, you might be in the top set for maths, but there's other things that you're not so good at - everyone has strengths and weaknesses, so don't crow about yours or others.

I would like to tell you about when my daughter was 4 and was recruited by the CIA, NSA and GCHQ to work on next-generation cryptography. But it’s all hush-hush, so I can’t.

Yes mine was like that. Later he achieved 6 C grade GCSEs ( after doing no work at all) and has shown no interest in anything academic since.
Just saying.

Yes, 99% of us get normal jobs doing normal things. Where are all these child prodigy’s I read about?

My DS pfb was a super bright baby - he said his first word at 9 months, had over 100 words on his 1st birthday (yes, I made a list) and was talking in complete sentences by 18 months. He used to freak people out regularly and I thought he was a genius 🤣

He also walked at 10 months (not madly early) and was cycling a bike at 2.5.

He’s 6 now in year 1 and basically normal! He read early (and could definitely count to 100 in reception 🤣) but I don’t think he’s at the top of his (normal state school) class. He has a wicked sense of humour though. I can’t wait to see how he develops.

He does know a lot of bits of different languages though. This is very useful as he sells tat to tourists in the West End.

I could post a photo but I'm not that sad (it was foundation level). Frankly who cares, my point was only that early aptitude doesn't necessarily translate into exam success.

DD got tested (as part of investigations into behaviour issues) when she was 5 and was declared perfectly average (bit under average in processing) but tries hard at school so does really well. So not super clever but has a good work ethic which I think is more important for success.

DS hasn't started school yet but I suspect he is fairly clever, at least in comparison to his sister! He can read quite well in English, taught himself to read in Finnish (his second language), can add and subtract very well for someone who hasn't been to school yet, however he appears to have slow processing speeds (at least nursery has flagged it enough to organise enhanced support for him) so he will likely struggle in school and won't seem to be clever.