Why it matters more than you think, in more permutations than you might expect.

Think bright and gifted kids need less unstructured playtime than other kids? Think again. Take a listen to find out why.

"It feels like there is some sort of barrier between us that prevents us from really connecting." We explore why bright and gifted kids can find it tough to form meaningful friendships with peers, and how to help them forge the connections they crave.

Finding out that the world sees you as "smart" can have a big impact on a kid's identity, self-esteem, motivations, and pursuits. In this episode, we'll explore the impact of this realization, with an emphasis on perfectionism and the struggles of internalizing expectations and pressures - both real and constructed.

One of the greatest myths about very bright kids is that they can figure things out and take care of themselves, when, in fact, they have significant needs. In this episode, we hear from kids about what it's really like to be 'the smart one,' and how to better understand - and discover - what they need to flourish.

The Wonderkind is brought to you by Brain Power Enrichment Programs, and is written, produced, mixed, and presented by Sarah Meehan. Special thanks to Ilya Kreynin, Vanessa Iarocci, and Mark Raspopov.

Links:

Vanderbilt University's Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth

⁠Early Entrance Program at CalState University⁠

⁠Brain Power Enrichment Programs⁠

Dr Adam Richter, historian of science and member of the Brain Power faculty, challenges our ideas of what it means to be a genius, where that concept came from in the first place, and what Isaac Newton's apple has to do with it.

Why is it so easy to rhyme off a list male geniuses, but not so easy to name a woman or two? And how does that affect young girls with academic aspirations? Dr Cassandra Chapman talks confidence, community and coming to a new definition of genius.

The second and final portion of our conversation on the technological revolution provoking curiosity and concern in education right now. Sarah moderates a panel of fellow Brain Power educators and thinkers, Vadim Tyuryaev, Dr Joel Benabu and Ilya Kreynin.

This episode was produced and hosted by Sarah Meehan Sirk.