The Child Prodigy: Three Tell-Tale Signs of a Young Academic Star

Possesses good self-control and can wait

Psychologists conducted an experiment where they gave a group of kindergarten children a piece of candy and said, “If you can wait for 15 minutes without eating it, you’ll get another one.” The results showed that group 1 immediately ate the candy, while group 2 tried their best to divert their attention.

After more than 10 years of follow-up with group 2, it was found that they had better academic performance and stress resistance.

The ability behind this is called delayed gratification, which means controlling oneself to achieve a bigger goal.

For example, when a child is playing with their favorite toy, if their mother asks to borrow it for about 5 minutes, the child can restrain their desire to play and patiently wait. Or, after repeatedly failing to assemble Lego blocks, the child feels frustrated and wants to cry but consciously takes a deep breath to calm down and tries again.

Therefore, parents should not underestimate this “self-control” ability. It directly relates to a child’s ability to focus in class, whether they get distracted by noises outside the window while doing homework, or whether they give up or persist in thinking when faced with difficult test questions.

If a child lacks self-control, they may easily get distracted, procrastinate, and fail to complete tasks on time.

Many children have good self-control abilities.

Remembers things well

This case is closely related to a child’s “working memory” ability. Working memory is like a temporary blackboard in the brain, used to temporarily store and process information at hand. New knowledge imparted by teachers, problem-solving steps, and a series of adult instructions are all memorized and digested one by one.

For children with good memory, this “blackboard” is larger and easier to use.

For example, after listening to a story, a child can retell it relatively completely and in order, knowing who did what. Or, when given 2 or 3 small tasks at the same time, the child can complete them without missing any tasks or needing reminders in between. When playing complex games, the child understands the rules after hearing them just once, and their thinking becomes clearer as they play.

Classroom learning heavily relies on this “brain blackboard.” Teachers teach one sentence at a time, and ideas are connected by the children.

Children with good working memory can easily grasp knowledge points and quickly connect them to understand. If they can keep up with the pace, they will naturally learn well.

Children with good working memory can easily grasp knowledge points.

Self-management and organization

Have you ever felt annoyed by your child’s procrastination? “It’s time to put away the toys!” “It’s time to go out, put on your shoes!” no matter how many times you shout, the child doesn’t move.

This reflects the executive function of the child’s brain, i.e., a lack of task initiation, simple planning, and flexible switching. However, a child with strong executive function knows what to do now, what to do first, and what to do next.

For example, when told to “go out,” the child may be reluctant but will start acting quickly instead of procrastinating indefinitely or resisting fiercely.

The child arranges their school bag in order. Specifically, they know to put large books first, followed by notebooks and then the pencil case.

Or, the transition from an excited state while watching TV to a calm state while doing homework goes relatively smoothly, without the mother having to constantly urge the child to the point of anger.

When playing role-playing games, the child can “cook” or “take care of the baby” in an orderly and professional-looking manner.

In fact, this ability depends on the command of the frontal lobe, which directly determines the child’s learning efficiency and self-control.

However, the child’s brain is rapidly developing and still very plastic. Therefore, parents need to use the right methods to strengthen self-control, memory, and practice, just like exercising muscles.

Self-management and organization.

So how should parents practice this?

Play concentration games with your child: Play turn-based games like chess or poker.

Set clear waiting rules: “Read this page of the book before eating fruit”, and quickly affirm the child’s success after their persistence.

Exercise memory: Play memory card matching games more often, encourage the child to retell stories in their own words after listening, give clear instructions (first step… second step…), and play the game “Simon Says” with your child.

Practice self-management: Establish simple daily habits (like brushing teeth before bed), offer limited choices (“Do this first… or that first…?”), play role-playing games that require following steps, and give the child a buffer time before tasks (“Play for 5 more minutes, then we’ll put away the toys”).

A child’s academic performance is partly influenced by their parents’ nurturing methods, through patient observation and wise guidance every day. When parents can tap into their child’s potential, they can help them take stronger and more confident steps on their learning journey.