The Editor, Sir:

In the Sunday Gleaner of August 27, you presented a story which highlighted one Kevin Rolle, a Bahamian by nationality, who, at age 12, has been accepted by the Northern Caribbean University. He will be majoring in theology and minoring in criminal justice.

Young Kevin poured much praise on his parents, in particular his mother, for exposing him to a number of learning opportunities at an early age. He went on to describe these learning experinces as very easy and enjoyable, as they were being presented in a fun way!

As an educator and parent of three children myself, I am not at all surprised by the ability of young Kevin Rolle. I am sure that the average-thinking person is quick to conclude that Kevin Rolle is a specially-gifted child and this explains his rapid success.

The myth

Without taking anything away from this young man whom I admire very much, I do not necessarily feel that this kind of performance cannot be exhibited by the so-called average kid.

Long time ago, it was the great philosopher and psychologist John Locke who stipulated that a new born child is a tabula rasa. That is to say, that a child when born is like a clean slate or a sponge, ready to absorb all that is bestowed upon him; whether it be knowledge, the skill required for mathematics, science, etc.

As parents, children and educators, we have been taught to believe that learning, and so-called advanced learning, cannot be accomplished on the part of our children until specific chronological and development age requirements are met.

In a sense, we have been prescribing, in great part, to the the theory of Piaget who stipulated that there were stages to learning and accordingly, an appropriate age to introduce, certain learning skills and knowledge.

While to a certain degree, this may sometimes be the case, nowadays with the advent of home schooling, the Internet and other technological advances, educators are beginning to question Piaget's theory.

Children whose education has been introduced at very early age, seem to do much better than those who have been late to be introduced, and who are exposed to the traditional method and rule of learning.

Personal example

I have a personal example, in my son, Michael. Even though he is just eight years old, he is the top student in his grade six piano class whose average age is 16 years!

But why is he so good at playing the piano? Does it have to do with inherited genes? Does it have to do with being specially gifted?

I will not be able to answer, for sure. I can say, as far as we know, there is not one person in our family who plays a musical instrument!

However, I strongly believe that because I introduced Michael to piano lessons since he was a mere four years old, is the answer to his 'apparent genius' at playing this musical instrument.

I suspect that if parents were spending more time with their children and giving them great intellectual stimulation at earlier ages, the whole world would have been inundated with a school of so-called 'intellectually-gifted children and later adults, and the case of young Kevin Rolle would become the norm rather than the exceptions.

What do you think?

I am, etc.,

JOSHUA SPENCER

joshuaspencer@rogers.com

Toronto, Canada

Via Go-Jamaica