Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Telly addicts

Related: Film discussion forum.

Original poster

___WEDNESDAY___CH 4___UPDATE___"CHILD GENIUS"___UPDATE___CH 4___

551 replies

RTKangaMummy · 13/04/2008 21:44

WEDNESDAY

CHANNEL 4

AN UPDATE ON THE CHILDREN FROM LAST YEAR

x x x

Documentary
Child Genius Wednesday 16 April
9:00pm - 10:00pm
Channel 4
1/2
The subtitle of this series about megabrained children is "young and gifted", but by the end you half-wonder if it should be "young and cursed". We're catching up with kids we met in the last series - chess champ Peter (11), who wears a "genius in training" T-shirt, Adam (eight), who dissects rats in the kitchen, and Mikhail (five), who as Britain's youngest Mensa member has appeared on Oprah and Countdown. We also meet Georgia, who toppled Mikhail as Britain's youngest Mensa member. At two, she was measured with an IQ of 152 - impressive given that, being a toddler, she fell asleep halfway through the test. Her mother notes that "a lot of the pictures we take of Georgia have this white light around her . . ." That's the thing: inevitably, parents become caught up in making their gifted children into mini-celebrities, especially when TV crews get involved. It makes for fascinating TV; whether it's great for the pressure-cooker kids is another matter.

x x x

OP posts:
avenanap · 26/04/2008 17:48

He's just turned 9.

Original poster
RTKangaMummy · 26/04/2008 17:52

So his peers are year 4 but he is in year 5?

OP posts:
avenanap · 26/04/2008 19:13

Yes. It was his old head teacher's idea. He was working at this level anyway, she wanted him in her class (she was going to teach the class) so that she could help him socially and work out what level he was working at. She sold the school before they went back in September so it didn't work out this way. I trusted her in this, I didn't know it was such a bad idea. He'll be going back to his own year group in September so he'll be doing year 5 again. He's mostly doing year 6 work now though. He's always been advanced academically, he was assessed (mock sats) and is a level 5 a few months ago for English, Maths and science. He's emotionally a 9 year old though. The school sometimes forgets this though. It's dificult for me to know what to do.

Original poster
RTKangaMummy · 26/04/2008 19:19

In my DS primary there was a few of them that went into class 6 from class 5

Also from 3 to 4 and 4 into 5 etc.

This seemed to work well and then the weaker ones went in the opposite direction iyswim

Then they were socially with their peers but could work at higher/lower level

How old are his friends that he has round to play?

ie if he had the choice which age would he be friends with?

OP posts:
Original poster
RTKangaMummy · 26/04/2008 19:21

perhaps it is hwere his friendships are to be formed thatis important now

And for them to extend his learning in more depth sideways rather than vertically

if that makes sense?

OP posts:
Original poster
RTKangaMummy · 26/04/2008 19:22

what year does he move to senior?

age 11+ or 13+

OP posts:
avenanap · 26/04/2008 19:30

It's quite hard for him. There are not alot of children his own age, I sent him to Beavers last year but had to stop after listening to the children swear. He's joined a fencing club and there are a few children there. He doesn't have a friend that's bright like him so he relys on me to talk to. I'm hoping that things will be better for him at his next school, it's selective so they are bright boys. They work on a target system, he's stretched sideways so I do know what you mean but he's like a sponge that soaks up everything, he doesn't mind doing the work at school but he finds it easy. He can listen to something and understand it straight away. He's got a photographic memory (when it suits him). There are things he wants to learn (philosophy, astrophysics, atoms) but I don't know if it's a good idea. He does play and do things that 9 year olds should, he see's the odd kid out of school but they all go to their holiday homes during the holidays so it's mostly me and him.

avenanap · 26/04/2008 19:32

The next school is a junior and a senior school so he won't have to move. He's pretty much abandoned the boys that were in his class last year and has found alot of friends in the year he's in now and the one above.

Original poster
RTKangaMummy · 26/04/2008 19:40

So are you saying in sept 2008 he will be in different school but will be with peers as in year 5

So I guess there will be clubs etc he can join there? With the older groups? Like PHYSCIS clubs etc?

Is it private?

DS is now year 8 in private and it is brilliant cos of the standard of the others and he has loved learning LATIN and next year he starts Ancient GREEK

Do they have HOUSES vertically so he mixes with boys up to 6th form {like @ DS school}

OP posts:
avenanap · 26/04/2008 19:46

Yes, he'll be going to a new school into year 5 with children his own age. They have alot of clubs (chess, debating etc). It is private aswell. He'll be doing Latin aswell. It's a bigger school then the one he attends now so there are more opportunities for him. I'm hoping the Latin and debating will divert his attention from the atoms and philosophy.

They have clubs at his current school but they are a bit naff. He does chess, scrapheap and drama. They have done things like Lego and scalextric, fun but doesn't make him think.

They have a diffent view of bright children in America. It looks like they are encouraged, here they are made to feel odd. It's a shame really.

Original poster
RTKangaMummy · 26/04/2008 20:06

Ds loves LEGO he designs abd builds stage and film sets with it

{from the stories he writes etc}

As well as making the sets esp Star Wars and TECHNIC and MINDSTORMS

What about him starting an instument would that focus some energy cos it will be easy to spend time on that?

I think the next school sounds really good for him

Does he have a telescope? As DS loves astronomy with his Dad.

Lots of study your DS can do on that

OP posts:
avenanap · 26/04/2008 20:12

Ds plays the Piano. I'd like him to do something else but I can't afford for him to do 2 yet. He has a telescope but some selfish git has built a house at the bottom of my garden so we don't get to see alot. It's been there for months, no one wants to buy it! He's made a few movies with Lego and wants me to put them on YouTube. Ds tends to read alot, I've run out of suitable books for him now. He's done all of the obvious authors so this is a problem. He's quite good at keeping himself occupied, every now and again he wants a 'chat' though. Normally at bed time. I think it's a stalling tactic.

avenanap · 26/04/2008 20:14

I've got to go and feed the child so I'll be back at 9 after he's gone to bed. he's picked up a book so I think there's a hard question brewing!

KerryMum · 26/04/2008 20:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
RTKangaMummy · 26/04/2008 20:24

LOL @ late night chats, DS does those too.

Pity about the house at bottom of garden cos astromony is something they can get alot of fun from, is it possible to take it to an open space near you?

Do they have instruments you can borrow at next school? So you don't have to buy them?

OP posts:
avenanap · 26/04/2008 20:55

He would love someone to play chess with. He plays with my neighbours son but he can beat him (neighbours son is 11 with attitude). I thought it would be easier to move him to a new school so that he could go down a year. It would be sad when all of his friends left and he was still there. He's not sure how he feels about moving, he's said that you never really know how it feels until you don't have it any more so I'll have to wait and see if I've made a mistake. The current school don't really get him though. I'm very concerned about his work though. I'm waiting for an appointment with the new head. Life can be miserable when he's bored.
They don't have instruments at his school, the parents have to buy them. Then they pay for lessons, exams... I was thinking about stopping the piano. he does no practice but picks it up really quickly. There is a park around the corner but I don't think it's a good idea to take him when it's dark. I'll have to think of something else.

Original poster
RTKangaMummy · 26/04/2008 21:44

That is a shame

Wot about those CHESS boards that play against you with lights etc

OP posts:
avenanap · 26/04/2008 22:00

I think his new school has a chess club. He likes to play with me but he keeps winning, it's not good for my moral . I've got chess on my laptop so he plays on that. There are chess games on the harry Potter wii game so he does that aswell.

KerryMum · 26/04/2008 22:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

avenanap · 26/04/2008 22:22

OK.

Original poster
RTKangaMummy · 26/04/2008 22:30

DS has enjoyed the chess club at senior school cos he can play the boys alot older and more experienced than they were @ primary

OP posts:
avenanap · 26/04/2008 22:34

Does he do anything else to give you some peace keep him occupied?

KerryMum · 26/04/2008 22:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

avenanap · 26/04/2008 22:42

Both. ds isn't mature, he's getting there though. The new school want to move him back. It's frowned upon to move him out of his year because the schools should be able to manage. I'm just going with the flow. As long as ds is happy and stretched then I'm fairly happy. All of the schools I've been to see would put him back in his own age group as his birthday is in April.

KerryMum · 26/04/2008 22:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Swipe left for the next trending thread