Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Pre-school Here's a question...

Does anyone else have a kid like this?

I liken my daughter's brain to a computer. If you input info (from whatever source... tv, talking to her, reading to her) and wait a few days to a week... she'll have it all down with no problem. Yet, if you ask her right after she's heard it... she says she "doesn't know." It's like her internal computer must have time to process it...

...the strangest thing is that when you do give her info on something... you'll find out the processors in her brain have expanded the programing and have taken her way beyond what you original imputed.

ex. off the top of my head:

On Monday you show her how to add 1 plus 3. You show her how to do basic addition.

On Tuesday you "test" her to see if she got it. The response seems negative. She doesn't know nor does she care.

On Sunday while she's playing you realize...she's not only adding together all sorts of numbers but she's logically figured out subtracting as well and is using her toys to demonstrate it. She is also doing basic multiplication b/c she informs you that "if you take 2 -2 times- you get 4" and so on

I made that up (kindof) but you get the point

Does any of this make any sense??

My son is often like that. Of course, he often doesn't like to answer questions, period. Rather, we tend to find out what he's thinking about or knows in conversations that he initiates or by watching him play. Sometimes we can "sneak" questions in, but most of the time, he will ignore direct questioning (much to our exasperation!).

But, back to your original post, yes - he often retains and pulls disparate pieces of information together, even if he seems to not be paying attention at the time. I think you're right about the "internal computer" needing time to process.

that sounds familiar. My DD does not like being put on the spot and so she may know the answer a day later, but not reveal it, but then let it all slip out in play. When I explained addition, at first she would repeat things back but I wasn't sure she really got it, then at the park she starts doing addition and subtraction with kids: there are two kids on these swings and when two more come to swing, four kids will swing...there are three girls on the top of a slide, and if one leaves, there will be two... I often introduce something to her then just leave it to simmer and eventually it all comes together. Some things she seems to get right away and repeat back, but I do sense that it goes deeper over time and sometimes it is better if I don't even bring the topic up except once in awhile.

It could be that it takes time for her to process it, or it could be that she just doesn't like being tested. For my DD, it is probably more of the latter, though it is very hard to know what's going on in there.

In your example, though, OP, it could easily be that she didn't get it. Her great number sense might have arisen totally independently of your attempt to teach her.

Our DD is similar in that she doesn't want to share. She can go a few days, a few weeks and even a few months before revealing that she understands it. I link it to her perfectionism. She is not comfortable sharing until she is sure she gets it. If we ask her about it we get the famous "I don't know". I have learned a while back to leave her alone and she finally comes around.

As for the computer part ... I see her vocabulary as an example. During conversation or watching TV, etc she picks up a large word and asks us what it means. (Sometimes she just gets the meaning with how it is used.) Days and weeks go by and she never brings it up but when a situation is just right and the word can be pulled out she always does. It is as if she stored it away in a folder and yes that is schema but it is normal for a child to need repetition on the subject yet this kid doesn't seem to need it. If it peaked her interest it is almost guaranteed she has it stored.

Yep, sounds really familiar! My children really don't like being put on the spot!

Yes, that is probably very true. DD is very much like that. She even refused to speak until she spoke in clear, complete sentences.

Her motto... "thou must not show lack of knowledge"


Yup, that's DD!

MY Brain is like this - it is INCREDIBLY frustrating. Thankfully most of my co-workers & friends over the years have learned to understand this and be patient.

If you ask me a complicated question (for instance, yesterday I was talking with my friend about my horses' feet and whether or not she needed some supplements to her diet). I sort of have to turn off my working-brain and go back into my memory banks to dreg up that information. I can give a very informed answer after about 30 minutes, but if I try to spit something out right away it comes out as complete non-sense.

Hope that helps :\