Binge Thinking

Ten Ways to spot a great future thinker aged eight

Recently I saw an article on the BBC news website, prompted by Lewis Hamilton’s FI championship win, entitled: ‘Ten ways to spot a future F1 champ aged eight’. It basically centred on the fact that he was a promising Go Kart champion at eight years old.

This set me to thinking: ‘Can you spot a great future thinker at eight?’ Well, the collective answer here is ‘maybe’. We say maybe, not because we don’t think there are ways to spot great thinking at an early age but rather, because we are a little skeptical as to whether girls and especially boys – even future geniuses – are always massive achievers at such a young age. Some of the best thinkers we have spoken to believe that they were very quiet or just focused on having fun at that age. But maybe they can’t remember how remarkable they really were? Certainly I know that I showed ambition (not sure about the great thinking) at eight when I spotted an opening at Brownies to be sixer of the Gnomes. I promptly put in for a transfer from the Elfs and sixer I became!

Back to our ten ways to spot a great future thinker at eight, here are the things to spot:

1. HQQs – a child that question a lot and asks the kind of questions that grown ups have to think about
2. Problem solving – a child that is good at solving puzzles, playing games in a methodical way etc.
3. Involve others – are they a natural at involving their friends and turning to others for help
4. Taking the advice – once they ask for help do they actually act upon it?
5. Budding entrepreneurs – Alan Sugar believes that entrepreneurs are made and that they usually come from families that encourage them to earn their pocket money etc.
6. Goal setters – a child that works towards goals and enjoys such processes as star trees etc.
7. Self directed – a child that doesn’t need constant stimulation from video games etc. and can fill their time under their own initiative
8. Self belief – a child that has good self belief and a high level of self esteem
9. Able to plan – is this a child that can actually get the ingredients for rice krispie cakes together BEFORE they start making them with gran?
10. Creative thinkers – do they let their imagination loose, enjoy stories and are able to imaging exciting adventures?

For all parents, these are great skills to develop in your kids even if they are not naturally demonstrating them themselves. If the next Formula One champion is whizzing around a Go Kart track then why shouldn’t the greatest thinker of the next generation be solving a puzzle in your very front room!