MOSHE KAI CALAVIN: 10-year-old Moshe Kai Cavalin is the latest ...

California schools have very black and white admissions criteria. An agressive parent can game it. When I was an undergrad at a UC school there was a very young boy enrolled. A friend had math classes with him and he frequently did not take exams with the class. He got "special accomodations." At one point his dad was arrested for threatening someone in the registrar's office. Rumor was dad had been doing his work all along.
Also, this kid is at community college. It's not exactly Princeton or MIT (interesting how he seems to implicitly criticize his lazy classmates). And he only has an A- average. Even if he is doing all the work himself it doesn't mean he's a genius.
He is probably just a very, very bright child with conscientious parents who realize how lousy his education options are in the U.S.

Hi I really hope that Moshe's parents are reading this because they need better advice on this kid. They should know that the college "intermediate algebra" math class he is taking is considered honors 9th grade math by our local public high school. A major prestigious University such as he aspires to attend would expect incoming freshman astrophysics majors to already have completed a year of calculus--at minimum. He will not get the preparation he needs for being an astrophysicist at this community college. They should pull the kid out of college and put him in the best middle school they can find. Push him ahead about 2 grades and make arrangements for a more advanced math class or home study/tutor math. He deserves to have something resembling a social life too. And by the way there are plenty of kids around like this one. Their parents just don't push them into college so they don't get news stories. There's one in my daughter's middle school. He goes to the high school for his pre-calculus class. I know what I am talking about--my husband is a physicist at a major University and I have to manage the education of my gifted children as well. It's clear that the parents are well-meaning but they need to consider all the child's needs and get expert advice on what preparation he really needs for his career.

I always wonder how prodigy kids pass courses with advance writing, verbal and analytical requirements. Not just English 101, but advanced philosophy courses, political science etc. I can understand studying for and doing well in math and sciences, but what about courses that need a little perspective and experience to write knowledgably about a complex topic? Do these kids just avoid those classes in general? Its never fully explained when I see an article about child geniuses.

good

my god!

I'm not lying, I really am this boy's math tutor.
To tell you the truth, I don't doubt his ability.
He has no problem understanding logical situations, and is what some people would refer to as an "old soul". His knowledge of his surroundings is impressive compared to that of an average 10 year old.
Whether or not he is a "prodigy" or a "genius" is irrelevant in my opinion. Like he says, one merely needs to be hard working. Of course, there are cases when this is not true, but it still stands that full potential can only be attained through perseverance and hard work.

To the concerned parent:
His ability to comprehend a variety of situations and problems allows him to skip past lower level institutions such as middle school and high school. Anyways, he is currently taking statistics, and is doing exemplary, to the point where he even goes as far as to show me some possible applications to real life settings.
Needs are relative to interests.
That being said, one can easily derive from an encounter with him that what he loves is math, and that results in his needing to progress as best as possible.(How many times do we wish we could go back and change the way we did things, so that we may be in a relatively better position?)
My own opinion of education is that primary and secondary schools in the U.S. are substandard. This has therefore pushed me to want to allow any future children that I may have to skip them, as leaving them in one would make me irresponsible.

I also believe that there are many children going undetected who have greater potential than others, yet cannot meet it because they are too different from the rest, or because of the fear such as that stated by the "concerned parent".

to boohoo:
I would say that the ability to perform well in a philosophy or political science class requires no "experience". Perspective, yes, but not experience. The reason for this being that classes require you to read books. Anyone with competent understanding of the material can derive their own opinions on the matter. Experience is merely an aide, so these classes are not dependent on it.

In the end, he's a good kid, funny, and definitely bright. He doesn't seem to be in any way hindered by the fact that he goes to a college rather than a public school or such. That a public school would be better because of the social experience is also a relative idea. He has people who are his friends, such as myself, and I'm sure he has fun in his own ways.

I'm unsure why this thing says that I'm from Roselle, IL, if I'm not.(If that's what it means?)
Anyways, this actually being posted from right here in Los Angeles, CA.

(If it does state the supposed location, then I hope it does not make the same mistake again.:P )

yep

"I would say that the ability to perform well in a philosophy or political science class requires no "experience". Perspective, yes, but not experience. The reason for this being that classes require you to read books. Anyone with competent understanding of the material can derive their own opinions on the matter. Experience is merely an aide, so these classes are not dependent on it."

TO HIS TUTOR: Are you serious?

I am actually a part-time professor of anthropology and political science. I find it to be impossible that a 10 year could grasp anything covered in class. They would just have to find some other way to meet the requirement. Not all teacher pass students for trying. He would have to prove to me he understood the content and I don't see how that would be possible in courses using bluebooks for finals and papers for course requirements (i.e. no multiple choice or fill in the blank exams)

(Los Angeles, CA)
I believe it is perfectly possible for a 10-year old to do so. It seems you're underestimating a child solely because of his age. I understand that the majority of children his age will most likely not understand the material, but it is, however possible for one to understand it. It is also possible that I am in fact, mistaken, and that such a student would not understand it. In this case I apologize, but I still find it ridiculous to believe the a child can not be as mentally capable as college student. This I say because it IS genetically possible for someone his age to be so.
In any case, the sole reason I do not agree with you is because you rule that possibility out. I do agree that a student would still have to prove it.

However, if they don't, then I too must wonder how it is they complete their requirements.
:P

"In this case I apologize, but I still find it ridiculous to believe the a child can not be as mentally capable as college student."

Thats not what I said. Children are capable of learning just about anything that has clearly defined measures of success (i.e. math, science, english, history, art etc) These types of classes have no bearing on age and if enough time is spent covering the material and tutoring a young child could pick up the needed skills to be successful at an earlier than expected age.

How would a 10 year old child reserach and write a 3-5 double spaced paper on the following example topic in a sophmore year anthropology class:

Although "globalization" is often discussed as if it is unique to the current era, we have considered how different historical periods may also have been based upon "global" dynamics. Discuss Amitav Ghosh's novel, In an Antique Land, in relation to this issue. What types of historical "global" relationships does Amitav Ghosh attempt to uncover in his novel?(Be sure to offer specifics such as the time period, the regions affected, the business and cultural climate of the Indian Ocean, and the types of evidence he uses). Why does Ghosh think it is important to call attention to this history? How and why does he contrast this history with the contemporary period?(To offer greater context for the Indian Ocean trading world described in the novel, I recommend that you consult Janet Abu Lughod's book, Before European Hegemony.

Can a 10 year old read this book and the supporting peer reviewed articles in a semesters time? Then somehow develope a paper on a topic that people outside the major 3 times his age could not write a coherent paper about?

I am not arguing that he is illiterate or incapable of advanced skills in fields with DEFINED measures of success. I can't imagine how it could be done in fields without defined measures of success, where the student must be able to read an instructors expectations and infer the best way to develope a paper. 10 year olds don't have the life experience to do this. I guarantee that a few C's or D's will eventualy tarnish his academic record, just because of this issue.

(Los Angeles, CA)

"Then somehow develope a paper on a topic that people outside the major 3 times his age could not write a coherent paper about?"

Given this is true, then he is obviously no different. He may also not be able to write coherent papers, but it's not like he's alone in the matter. No student is ever alone, since there is help, such as those from tutors or peers, that will help him overcome such obstacles.
Even if he doesn't have the life experience (because I would agree that he doesn't), he has the experience of others that he may use to his advantage. More so since he's a kid, and there are people there to guide him.
I won't go as far as to say that he will perform excellently though, since that could be an overestimation.
Regardless, I don't know that either of us have enough knowledge on the subject to really know. What I mean is that, I don't know of a case study or anything that holds any similarity to it that would lead me to think what I do. What I'm saying is just that I think it IS possible for a ten-year old to do well in those classes. It's not like I'm saying that they will, just that maybe 1 out of, say, 200, will understand and be able to perform well, regardless of his own life experience.
However, I do acknowledge that you, as a professor, may know more about this subject than I do.
But!
Do you really not believe at all that it's even a tiny bit possible for one to do well in those types of subject?
If you don't, then we may have to agree to disagree, as we may get nowhere from this.
:P

Mr knowall boohoo. I saw this kid playing chess with a master chess player and winning. For me this proves beyond any doubts that you are totally wrong and talking garboise

(Los Angeles, CA)
Haha :P
Mr. Schilling, I believe that would fall under what he was saying - "DEFINED measures of success"
In this case he wouldn't be wrong.
But I still disagree with him.
:P