DS1 is 14 and is very able at Maths and Science and he has a particularly good memory. He likes facts and sees life for the most part in black and white, he struggles with grey.
He was always interested in Geography and History and in Year 7 and 8 performed very well. All has changed in Year 9. He is now expected to use imagination and empathy in Geography and History and is really struggling. It?s seems a shame to me because he has more detailed knowledge about the geography of the world than most adults. He could tell you where every country in the world is, where it stands in relation to it?s neighbours and something about it. He knows all the old fashioned history, Kings and Queens and battles but his mind goes blank when asked to describe how a poor peasant might feel in the middle ages.
I understand that much of this is down to his good memory and apparently that?s not what it?s all about now. Ask him about China and he can tell you quite a lot, he would know where it was, the population, all it?s neighbours, he could pinpoint major cities and rivers. Ask him to write an essay on how a Chinese child felt who was caught up in an earthquake and he can?t do it. To me that?s creative writing which requires imagination and empathy but not geographical knowledge, but I?m not an educationalist.
He had always thought that he would like to study humanities but I now wonder whether he should avoid them rather than persevere and not do so well? I suspect he?ll have to take at least history OR geography .
I know I need to discuss this with his teachers but I?d like the benefit of MN advice.