Child beyond; Boy who was cooked too soon

The child beyond produced by Radio house the University of Texas under a grant from the Educational Television and Radio Center in cooperation with the National Association of educational broadcasters. The child is there beyond the hurt and the handicapped beyond the defect in the different views on the problem and its probe. There is a child. How can we. How can we set him free. Radio house the University of Texas bring you the child beyond a series of recorded programs devoted to the exceptional child in our society areas of difficulty. His problem the avenues of adjustment open to him to help us seek full and satisfying lives for our exceptional children. Authorities of national reputation will counsel with us on these broadcasts together with

parents of such children will guide us in our search for the best patterns of everyday living with youngsters who need special help. What kind of special help. Let's ask our series commentator Dr. William Gee will you know a question really should be what kinds of special help for exceptional children are special in many ways. And it is in many ways that we must meet the challenge they pose for us the responsibility they bring. Some of our children are exceptional through limitation or deprivation. They need special help because for them the bestowal of life's assets has been relatively scant because they find it difficult or impossible to see to hear to speak to move about or to understand. But other children need help of a special kind because well for them life has been overgenerous in the distribution of its gifts. These are the children exceptionally favored with keener intellect and outstanding talent superior ability. These are the bright children the gifted

children the children of abundance properly channeled properly utilized that abundance can mean leadership performance self realisation and a contribution to society of the highest character. With special help of the proper kind these children can mean much to themselves and to the world they live in. We see many of them about us all the time happy well-adjusted generous and kind and stable popular respected invaluable. But without special help for our generously endowed youngsters through lack of understanding through ignorance or indifference or neglect their gifts can be wasted. Their destiny denied the abundance can be frittered away. And when we saw to our joy a child of the brightest promise we find in in time and to our dismay a man like Sam a man who grew from the boy who was cooked too soon. Do you find that a curious way to describe the boy. Well it isn't really

when you know the boy you know his story. It isn't a typical story but it isn't an uncommon one either. It happens often enough that we need to be concerned over what's happening at all. And if the story best told by starting at the end instead of the beginning to do that we must take a taxi a taxi over here. It's a driver I wonder if you could take us obviously I can take you anywhere you wish to go. Otherwise I should have responded to your raucous caterwauling from the curb now just a minute there friend. Don't you think perhaps another time all Can Come come don't be victimized by oversensitivity you're in a hurry to go somewhere by cab. I'm available to take care that it can't possibly matter that we are mutually out of a static. Well that's better. Don't know don't dawdle madam don't hang about in indecision it signifies an ambivalent not just a highly disorganised personality. Take the

plunge get it go on honey go ahead. As the fellow says he can get us where we're going. Raise all these miniscule considerations rather peevish reservation where are we drifting what I said where to friend. Friend just person friend I didn't know what to make of him. It was just ridiculous. That's my character if ever there was one. He's been making this guy for everybody here. I don't wander all that high flown language goes with the guy anyway. If you're talking about human rights around the world he'd rather insult than look at you.

Does anybody know just one of those misfits I guess. Smart a real brain everybody says you want to see the books he reads books. Yes carries them around the facts. Them he does he does. And the most embarrassing thing Trudy and I rode out with him one day and here were all these books kicking around in the back seat what kind of books you would know if I told you the car anyway we didn't. While this time if you ever heard of. Oh wait a minute I remember one. We memorized it just for kicks. Let me see now the metaphysics of logical positivism that's it. Ye go isn't it. Well naturally we thought somebody had left them in the cab by mistake and we told him we said My goodness Sam somebody has left these books. And Trudy said they must be valuable because listen to the titles and we started reading the titles and whooping because they were really just beyond I could imagine. But you can imagine what Sam said to us. Never forget it. Every word is etched on my brain. What did he say. He was cold as ice and just shaking with rage. And he

said those books are valuable you stupid screeching females. He said that that's not only said he said but the fact that they so far exceed your puny intellectual grasp does not make them comic books. Nor does the fact that you have cab fair in levity at the expense of profound thought in my books or anyone else. Yes couldn't you actually read them with titles like that with titles like that. Well all I can say is if he's so smart why is he driving that broken down taxi. Why doesn't he do something besides ride around. That's the $64 question answer. Maybe there isn't any answer. Back a long time in another place.

I believe it even when you hear it where we think he's rather unusual on usual he's incredible and incredible child will come now and Catherine that's pretty strong you know. I mean it. The little tyke. How old is he Emily He'll be 2 in October. You see not quite two and most children at 2 are just beginning to get the hang of the language. But this boy is rolling out sentences like our six year old and I'm horsey started early. He was already saying words when he was what your nine month was it darned early I remember people nearly dropped their DS when they found he was talking. I did I know I was over here having coffee with Amalie and Sammy was watching a cardinal out there on that stump and out of a clear blue sky he said Bird pretty bird. Just a baby and he said that said it is plain. I merely ran screaming from the house Remember I'm not really I was kind of

uncanny at Catherine. I couldn't have been more surprised if a dog had said it or a cat. Babies that age you don't expect them to talk that you've got to remember Chris. Sammy comes by naturally. His family are all talk a little overlook that I know it isn't just the talking though that's fantastic enough just the mechanics of it. But have you noticed how he puts things together and how he understands their relation and how he handles abstract thoughts. I would say my dears that you've been blessed with an extraordinarily brilliant child is that a blessing of course if he is watching. Well it scares me to death and nonsense them like it's a privilege a challenge. Don't you agree Chris. Yeah I guess Chris is like me. I used to wake up in a cold sweat wondering what I'd do with Gordon and I had a precocious child. What I was smarter than we were because we're not dumb but we're not giant brains either.

And now that we've got one if we've got one I swear I don't know what I'll do I don't know what I will do. Senator Well where's the reception. Where is everybody. I'm lying down. The quiet place. So what's all the hush hush. You've got it is dark as pitch in here my head splitting or you see. No I'm not sick. I'm just upset upset. He's in his room I put him to bed this time. Why didn't he go to the party. He went to the party. That's the trouble. Horrible trouble. Wasn't it a good party. Well I suppose it was if you're five years old like ring around the rosy and blind man's buff and drop a handkerchief. Sammy. Well they're pretty silly games anyway I was so he said.

So he said at the top of a small. This is Meadows tried to be nice and urge him to play. So they were stupid and silly games and only stupid and silly people played them. So the whole party was a dreadful bore and Mrs. Meadows was a no go. Wow that was rough. That young man's gotten too big for his britches. Well what did you do. Not blow my top. Well I shouldn't have I suppose but I couldn't help it. I was a rock climber there Quest. Jen's questions questions all morning I thought I'd lose my ma and I had to practically drag him to the party by main strength. So what happened. I shook him until his teeth rattled. I don't he was going to apologize to Mrs. Meadows and get in there and play like other children played. If I had to drag him every step of the way so play he did not. Do you know what that precocious little upstart of power said to me. I wouldn't even hazard a guess he said. Brute force was a relic of barbarism and he was surprised due to resort to such a stopper.

But you have to admit it's kind of funny. Funny I wore him out and brought him home. What else could I do. Well honey I tell you you've heard the old saying If you can't lick em join em. Now we've got a kid that's not like other kids smarter than the rest put together and we always be. So I say let's just admit it and make them up. Why why we've been mourning to have you out here. Nice try. I've exaggerated. I have.

One. Yes. One way of putting it repetitious rant apart piece Atlanta must be that boy I want to say. Nothing to you. That's our private code Sammy was that he was reminding me that it's time for the exhibition. Oh yeah here your memory exploited why your I marvel at it. It's nothing to get all right all right everybody quiet now while my son sadly here has consented to give us an impressive demonstration of mind over matter. He doesn't mind it doesn't matter. I'm no no seriously I don't know what are you does it but it's pretty terrific. So as a proud father I say sit back and be amazed. Now here's what we do when I say somebody gives a word. Doesn't matter

just any word that pops in your head. And when I say to somebody else gives another word and we go just as fast as we want to and we say the number and the words only one is going to write them down. The word number then when we get to 50 she'll call out the numbers again at random and suddenly here will tell us what words to that number. That's right. Fantastic. OK here we go. Right right. One. Two three four. One two three

five five mistakes what is this. It's a concession to public opinion. What exactly do you imply by that Sammy. I'm flying. I'm tired of being a monument. I'm tired of being the little tin god you make a perfect mark on every paper. I'm tired of being you know what they call me same machine. Well if it takes voluntary errors in mathematics to make me look human. So the other members of my class vote for me me like the plague and I am the way it is going to make those errors I see. Sammy Yes I do see. Well I don't you mean you will make mistakes. Purpose. This lady wins the keep it all for the perfect dancer. You arrived at the explanation by a brilliant deduction. I'll make mistakes on purpose. Don't use that tone to your mother Sammy. Well don't you think she's being a trifle obtuse. And you're being impossibly rude. We'll excuse you from the room light but not before I've made this clear. Are you listening. Yes I am listening there will be

no more of these voluntary arrows as you call them. If you can do the work you will do it. I haven't told everybody in town how smart you are to have you show up looking like just any other high school dumb ox. As for this public opinion you're so afraid of. You're above all that or ought to be. You are smarter than all those kids put together. You know it and I know it. And it won't hurt them to know it. So you just buckle down boy and do the work the way you can do it and don't let me see anything less than a perfect paper from now on. Understand. Yes. That was rugged. Perhaps more rugged than you know my dears. There are desperate forces at work in that boy I'm afraid. Forgive me for speaking so plainly Gordon. But you're pushing him dangerously near a breaking point how could he be at Catherine. Gordon's not asking Santa to do anything he's not capable of doing.

I think he is. How do you mean. He's asking him to give up on natural boy's life with friends and fun freedom to fit into the life around me. He's asking Sammy to sacrifice his own emotional satisfaction for yours and Gordon's to crucify himself on a perfect match score so you can listen to the applause. That's a horrible thing to say at Katharine but it needs to be said my dear. You and Gordon are forcing that boy into a pattern that will ruin him Emily. You are exploiting him to feed your own egos. You always have. I'm trying to remember that you're an older woman and Catherine. I'm trying hard to remember that. Well don't my dear. Put all your efforts into trying to remember that your son is a very young boy and he needs the things that other young boys need friendship an affection approval as a person not an adding machine understanding and the chance to grow at his own pace in his

own way that he's not like other young boys and Catherine precocious. He always has been you said that yourself. You were the first to say it and I said he had a brilliant mind and really that's a very different thing. Do you know where we get that word precocious. It's not a very happy word really in its original French form it means cooked. Think of that. Think of what happens to things that are cooked too soon too fast. The meat without tenderness or flavor. The cake that rose so high and then fell so low. The kernel Costard no one can digest the highest quality the finest ingredients cannot say food that's cooked too soon my ideas and I cannot say people other brightest can be shrivelled and warped. The most promising personality can shrink hurdle and lose its flavor. Don't push Sammy my dear. Don't force him into

premature completion. Don't think you don't cook you a boy too soon. Yeah. Cool. Cool. You may remember the end of Sam's story. Well if you so why not a taxi. What do you think it's not right around people. The other scenes you have just heard were the beginning within their elements lies part of the answer to the really basic question the rest of the answer lies in the years between the events. The influences and the attitudes that curtails Sam's promise that squandered Sam's gifts for gifted children like all children need an appropriate climate at home and school in the community if they're to develop to the fullest measure of their capacities.

Wherever their abundance lies it must first be recognized then carefully nurtured properly directed. If we are to ensure that the gifts are not frittered away there must be help of a special kind from people who are aware of the special needs of our gifted boys and girls from people who are equipped to give that special help. The efforts we make toward recognizing superior abilities in these children toward fostering those abilities wisely and well are efforts which have the utmost significance for our future as well as for theirs. The full utilization of these gifts in our world today has become imperative. And to tell us why this is so. Here is Dr. Paul Whitty professor of education at Northwestern University. And foremost authority in the nation on the problems of children with special gifts. Dr. Whitty at no other time in history has a need for capable leaders been more apparent than at present. Our national and world plight is attributable in

part to our past neglect of gifted children. We need in the United States more men and women of superior ability as leaders in business education journalism Labor Research and government are gifted children constitute the nation's greatest potential resource to meet this need to become effective leaders however gifted children require appropriate educational opportunities which they are sometimes denied. Who are the gifted with the development of the intelligence test and its widespread use of gifted children or defined and selected in a card with high IQ. L. M. Terman a great leader in this field referred to children whose intelligence quotients were 130 or higher as gifted in his early studies he found that about 1 percent of the school population had IQ is one hundred thirty or higher. These children really do possess high abstract verbal intelligence but the intelligence test does not enable us to identify all

gifted children. Expression is blocked in some children by strong emotion or by insecurity traceable to deprivations at home. Moreover there are children whose ability in art music and writing. They were rare and distinctive are not measured by the typical intelligence test. Perhaps it is desirable for us to broaden our definition and to consider as gifted any child whose performance is consistently remarkable in any worthwhile line of human endeavor. Now how shall we identify gifted children. Well in the past the method used for identification has been usually the intelligence test. This enables us to pick out gifted children of high verbal ability. These children are often placed in special classes are provided unusual opportunities with partial segregation and other approaches. The major work classes in Cleveland the Hunter College Elementary School are examples

of efforts to care for children of high verbal intelligence in Roman For example in a major work class is determined in part by intelligence quotient A hundred thirty or above. In the Hunter College elementary school the average IQ is one hundred fifty one in one thousand forty five. In the selection of the gifted child factors such as interest and aptitude are usually considered too. For example in a specialized high school such as the Bronx High School of Science a number of criteria including intelligence test results are employed. Maurice Meister principal of the school suggests that a rough line of demarcation be set at IQ one hundred twenty in selecting moderately are highly gifted high school students. In this way we would select approximately 10 percent of the usual high school population. It should be pointed out that classes in schools for gifted children are usually in large cities. They are few and numbered

throughout our entire country. Now we should indicate to you that half of our most gifted youngsters live in relatively small cities towns and rural districts. Accordingly the task of identifying many gifted children will lie in the hands of regular classroom teachers and parents to accomplish this test. Parents should be acquainted with the characteristics of gifted children and teachers should use the results of tests supplemented by continuous and discriminating observation of their pupils. We have many have many studies of gifted pupils. Their nature and their needs genetic studies have revealed clearly the falsity of many opinions about them. Contrary to popular thought the gifted pupil has been shown to be physically superior attractive well-rounded. Not the physical weakling and social misfits often picture. He tends to excel in all his school work and by the time he gets into the upper elementary grades he may have knowledge is of pupils

classified several grades above it in some of our studies. Gifted pupils have knowledge is by the time they are at age 10 are 11 of pupils two or three are four grades above them in classification. In our schools Accordingly the gifted people need stimulating and challenging experiences which he rarely receives in large classes of most elementary schools. There is a further and very great neglect of him in the secondary school. In fact one writer wrote a few years ago the gifted the potential leaders discovers and creators are usually left to develop their own skills in their own way and in terms of personal initiative alone. Now we have a widespread effort throughout our country to care for gifted children more adequately and for youth to whom we refer to often as rapid learners in the high school. We have special classes in special schools. We have

increased use of honors classes and honors schools in large cities. We have efforts to care for our youngsters gifted in the field of science and we have some accelerated programs and opportunities for young people of superb your ability to earn college credit while they are still in high school. But we should remember that at least half of our most gifted youngsters are in small towns rural communities and relatively small cities. The classroom teacher therefore should do a great deal in the identification and the stimulation of these youngsters and indeed classroom teachers are. And this effort of the regular classroom teacher to provide for the Gifted is one of the most heartening things in modern education. There is a company in an effort to provide adequate education for parents of gifted pupils. This work is indeed encouraging

because some of our studies show that the conservation of ability depends upon the extent to which parents identify gifted youngsters early and the extent to which teachers also provide stimulation for the full development of gifted pupils in their classes. We are awakening no to the importance of our obligation in caring for gifted children. It is to be hoped that the future will bring an even greater interest in the full development of our greatest resource gifted children and youth. The boy who was cooked to sword was brought to you by radio host the University of Texas in a special series of programs titled recorded broadcaster devoted to the exceptional children in our society. Our series commentator is Dr. William G director of the Austin cerebral palsy center.

Member of the National Education Advisory Board and President Council on Teacher Education International Council for exceptional children a boy who was cooked too soon prepared for broadcast by Summerfield from a script by Eleanor pate with Project Coordinator as. The child was produced by Radio hosts of the University of Texas under a grant from the Educational Television and Radio Center. This program is distributed by the National Association of educational broadcasters. To get the network.