Have you ever stopped to think that those behaviors That we sometimes find irritating in our children can actually be a sign of intelligence?
A study published in Cognitive Development revealed that a child’s persistent and even obsessive interest in a certain subject can be an indication of above-average cognitive abilities in adult life.
Developing intelligence
The study followed 215 children, aged around four, and found that many of them maintained a prolonged interest in specific topics throughout childhood.
Parents were invited to share their children’s favorite activities during free time, including whether they demonstrated specific and long-term interests, which even amounted to an “obsession”.
The results showed that a significant portion of children maintain continuous engagement in conceptual domains during part of their infancy.
Boys were more likely to express interest in certain conceptual domains than girls, although there was a decline observed in both sexes with the start of school.
Children’s interests can reveal future cognitive skills – Image: Canva Pro/Reproduction
Furthermore, both boys and girls exhibited a wide variety of topics of interest and a similar tendency to maintain these topics over time.
Researchers have observed that a child’s obsession with a subject leads them to delve deeper into it, seeking information from different sources, including books.
This, in turn, develops their attention span and thinking-related skills, giving them more ability to learn and process information.
Therefore, when our children show constant interest in a specific subject, we must encourage them, as this represents an opportunity for growth and learning.
And if we can incorporate educational activities that match children’s interests, even better. This will not only fuel their passion but also strengthen their cognitive abilities.
