Marie Curie, a Nobel Prize winner, taught herself how to read. Pablo Picasso was painting from a very early age.
A child prodigy is defined as a child who has a talent that is discovered prior to 11 years of age. Some very talented individuals do not discover their calling until well after childhood.
Child prodigies rarely stumble upon their talent. Parents need to encourage their children to explore a variety of different academic subjects and artistic activities to potentially reveal their child's unique talent.
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Parents can have a big influence on their child's intellectual development. Parents are encouraged to enrich their child's environment for maximum intellectual potential.
Parents can promote their child's intellectual growth by being interested in their child's activities. Parents should also set a good example for their children by also engaging in activities that promote intellectual growth.
A child prodigy shows early onset giftedness in a certain field of study, such as science, art, music, literature or mathematics.
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Child prodigies exhibit early skills in certain areas and their growth in that field is exponential compared to typical development. A child who reads by age two may be an indication of a child prodigy.
Due to an increased push in academic pursuits, child prodigies are at risk of burning out or experiencing high levels of anxiety.
Many adults who were once child prodigies report missing out on a normal childhood. Instead of playing with dolls and going to soccer practice, these kids were enrolled in university classes and composing music.
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The gap between child prodigies and their peers tends to narrow over time. As adults, these once child geniuses seem more on par with their same-age peers.