Lori,
There are several subcultures in the US that are Oral Cultures and if you cannot think orally, gather information orally, and question people well, you cannot survive.
Patton had attrocious handwriting and some other fine motor issues so he focused on oral learning. He had to work very hard to keep up in other areas with his peers and that work ethic, and EXPECTATION that he had to work hard, carried over into other areas.
The military, government and executive ranks are oral cultures. Some areas of law are oral cultures. Theater and movie directing are oral cultures. Some math departments are oral cultures.
You can see where I am going. Your son is developing phenomenal oral skills that will set him apart from his peers and most of society. He is also learning to be patient with limited time and within a constrained social arrangement - again, not something most kids deal with. And, he gets to see what Compassion is, not read about it in a book. And unlike those programmed kids who think all life is streamlined, your son sees that its not that easy.
BTW, I just finished this book on Stalin. Stalin was clearly GT - reading very early and deeply. Its a good read and gives background into how he became who he was. It fits in with Paul Johnson's thesis on similar leaders.
http://www.amazon.com/Young-Stalin-...mp;s=books&qid=1227030531&sr=8-1
