Kindergartner Becomes Mensa Member

[Hum]

Most parents believe their child is the smartest kid in the class, but when Robert Dorman says this, he's likely right.

His son, 5-year-old Gus Dorman, with an IQ of 147, became one of the youngest members admitted to Mensa, the exclusive high IQ society.

Now in kindergarten, Gus is already reading such books as "Charlotte's Web," while his classmates work on mastering the ABCs.

For fun, Gus memorizes the periodic table and a world map. And sometimes he corrects his father on geography.

"He got into an argument with me because I told him that the capital of Alaska is Anchorage," said Dorman. "But it's not, it's Juneau."

Dorman first noticed Gus' advanced intelligence when he started to potty train his son at 18-months. Gus started to bring a newspaper to read on the toilet, and was also reading his father's copies of "Wired" magazine.

Since Gus was their first child, Dorman and his wife, Kotomi, simply thought this was how all children acted.

"We didn't realize he was gifted," said Dorman. "We just thought he was like all kids."

On a camping trip with another family, Gus read the slogan off a fellow camper's clothing. The family friend was stunned that at age 4 Gus could read, even though her 5-year-old daughter was still learning the alphabet.

"She said, 'He can read?' He shouldn't be able to read," recalled Dorman of the family friend's reaction. "I said, 'He reads all the time. We brought books [on the trip.]'"

Dorman decided it was time to take his son to get an IQ test, hoping that he might qualify for an out-of-state gifted program.

Gus scored within the 99 th percentile in nearly all categories of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, which qualified him for Mensa, whose members must have an IQ of at least 135; Gus' IQ was 12 points higher than that.

Despite Gus' high IQ, his father said his son had problems when he started school. Gus would get restless when it came to learning addition or the alphabet. According to Dorman, Gus was already on multiplication and long division.

"He goes to kindergarten, and he likes going to school [but] he gets in trouble," said Dorman. "He really has a hard time sitting there and listening to low-concept stories, because he's used to being able to ask questions and do research."

Dorman has lobbied his school district to provide special advanced education for his son. But Dorman said it's unlikely Gus would receive special treatment.

"I know there's no money for gifted programs in Illinois," he said.

Dorman hopes that Gus will at least qualify for a school for the gifted that provides supplemental online courses through the eighth grade.

"As parents we're lost," said Dorman of Gus' school options. "I don't think homeschooling is the way to go. He needs the camaraderie in the social portion of school. The books are one thing, but you have to have the social part too."

For now Dorman said he's happy to teach his son what he can about Gus' newest interests, black holes and astrophysics.

source

[DocM]

Amazing kid - started young.

We have a gifted child, certified at 9 but he started receiving an individualized curriculum at 7, and it definitely can be a challenge. He started accumulating college credits at age 10. I think the school first noticed when his 2nd grade teacher was talking the states of metter; solid, liquid & gas, and he corrected her by adding plasma and the Bose-Einstein condensate.

[spacer]

That's pretty cool to hear the kid is a true genius. It's too bad his family lives in Illinois though. Hopefully his father can find some type of program that will challenge him.

[sanctified Veteran]

That's pretty cool to hear the kid is a true genius. It's too bad his family lives in Illinois though. Hopefully his father can find some type of program that will challenge him.

This.

IQ is meaningless unless guided and expanded. However congratulations to this kid.

[Hum]

I was too smart for kindergarten :p

[PNWDweller]

As a step parent of a child who has a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) from a car accident when she was a toddler, we are used to the extra attention given to "Special Education" students who struggle. I personally think that just because the schools can accommodate the special needs, they should work toward accommodating those who are also special needs which have such a high IQ.

On the same side of the sword though is I doubt many average teachers would even be able to teach him let alone provide necessary education for him. It probably won't be until he matures more emotionally before they will put him into either high school or college. Thankfully though, with the availability of online schooling through the Internet, they can have him go to college quite early w/o all the social barriers of people looking down on him because of his age. :)

[DocM]

We've found the Khan Academy website very useful -

http://www.khanacademy.org

plus Michigan has the Michigan Virtual High School and Michigan Virtual University which are priceless online education resources, especially for home schoolers.

[Zlain]

I don't like iQs. The brain is a muscle and like any other muscle it can be developed. Our current understanding of the brain is very limited, so to try and put a measure on someone's intelligence and "potential intelligence" is really rather stupid, particularly at a young age. So the kid knows a few facts? Who the **** cares. Hence I judge "intelligence" by what people achieve, i.e. something that changes our perception of things. Whether its music (Mozart etc) or science (Einstein, Tesla, Newton) etc etc

[siah1214]

The brain is a muscle

I don't like iQs

Computes.

EDIT : EH, I should expound on this.

Hence I judge "intelligence" by what people achieve

If you're joining mensa, reading books, and memorizing the periodic table at the age of 5 that's a pretty incredible achievement.

Your intelligence is limited by the cards you're dealt when you're born. I will never be as smart as Einstein, a person with downs will never be as smart as me (though they might get close :p)

And I was not nearly as smart as that kid at, so, I'm impressed. Don't be hatin'.

[Growled Member]

I don't like iQs. The brain is a muscle and like any other muscle it can be developed. Our current understanding of the brain is very limited, so to try and put a measure on someone's intelligence and "potential intelligence" is really rather stupid, particularly at a young age. So the kid knows a few facts? Who the **** cares. Hence I judge "intelligence" by what people achieve, i.e. something that changes our perception of things. Whether its music (Mozart etc) or science (Einstein, Tesla, Newton) etc etc

I agree. I know a young man who is slow at school and his teachers have little regard for him and I'm sure they believe he has a low IQ. However, he amazes me because of his wisdom way beyond his years and his talents in other areas, like in music and electronics. He can find solutions for problems like no one's business. I even ask for his help in computer troubleshooting sometimes.

[Hum]

^ Thomas A. Edison was told by a teacher that he would never amount to anything. :shifty:

[siah1214]

^ Thomas A. Edison was told by a teacher that he would never amount to anything. :shifty:

His teacher didn't realize Edison's propensity for being a conniving thieving ****** then :)