Are child prodigies ready for university?

Academic acceleration is an educational intervention based on progress through an educational program at rates faster or at ages younger than typical (Pressey, 1949). For decades, there has been fierce debate regarding child prodigies’ early entrance to university, which is one of the 18 forms of academic acceleration identified by Southern, Jones and Stanley. There is no definite answer or consensus to this controversial issue as yet. Nonetheless, with respect to the various findings in this research, which include… it is to a moderately large extent that child prodigies excelling exceptionally in different academic fields are ready to embark on their university study at their young ages. This paper demonstrates and substantiates the key findings of the research with their corresponding evidence, and hence attempts to provide justification for the early university entry of child prodigies.

1)One of the key findings of the research was that various top universities around the globe have different forms of early-entrance programmes or early enrollment policies for gifted children, proving the global academic recognition of the early university entry of child prodigies. Two of most long-standing examples are the Early Entrance Program (EEP) of the University of Washington in Seattle and the UW Academy for Young Scholars. 500 child prodigies have chosen the option of radical acceleration from secondary school to university at the University of Washington since the inception of the EEP in 1977 and the Academy in 2001.

See residential and commuted options from ND Ch.10

Meanwhile it is necessary to consider another finding in this research, (UK child protection rules)

A 13-year old prodigy, Adam Spencer, who was expected to be aw...

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...ble to navigate their way through college success- fully and seem to be satisfied (e.g., Brody et al., 1988; Janos et al., 1988; Janos et al., 1989; Noble et al., 1993; Noble, Arndt, Nicholson, Sletten, & Zamora, 1999; Noble & Smyth, 1995; Robinson & Janos, 1986; Sethna et al., 2001; Swiatek, 1993).

(Paula Olszewski-Kubilius ND Ch.7 Talent Searches and Accelerated Programming for Gifted Students) Considering other authoritative studies and accelerated programming for child prodigies and the outcomes that followed, the validity of this research’s assertion that child prodigies are able to manage and ameliorate themselves from their university study was reassured.

IAS

See annotated bibliography from ND p.129

Hence it is to a moderately large extent that child prodigies excelling academically are ready for university study at their young ages. It is not to say that