Valentine Cawley knows the secret of making a child prodigy: have a baby. Each of his three children by Syahidah Osman Cawley is extraordinary. The Cawleys, an Irish/Malay family, based in Singapore, are discovering that child prodigy need not arrive in the world alone and that a baby genius has brothers and sisters who may also be geniuses, themselves. What is the business of life and education of a scientific child prodigy like? Their new blog confides all about a family of many gifts.
Valentine Cawley knows the secret of making a child prodigy: have a baby. Each of his three children by Syahidah Osman Cawley is extraordinary. The Cawleys, an Irish/Malay family, based in Singapore, are discovering that child prodigy need not arrive in the world alone and that a baby genius has brothers and sisters who may also be geniuses, themselves. What is the business of life and education of a scientific child prodigy like? Their new blog confides all about a family of many gifts.
Ainan Celeste Cawley, six, is a boy of many unique gifts: a former baby genius, he is now a scientific child prodigy, with a general gift in science: in physics, chemistry, cell biology and astronomy. He also has a gift for music and art. Fintan Nadym Cawley, three, is a natural actor, with a leadership gift – and an ear for music. Tiarnan Hasyl Cawley, eight months, and a baby genius, has all the precociousness of another nascent child prodigy - and a gift for music.
How many babies crawl at four months? Both Ainan and Tiarnan did. How many babies walk at six months, steadily, confidently and freely? Ainan did - and he was running at eight months. Fintan was crawling at six months and walking at eight months. These too are a kind of baby genius.
Commenting on this unusually early child development, Valentine Cawley, their father, said: "I believe it is a sign of perfect health of body and mind, that all should work so well, so young."
What was done to nurture such gifts? Who are the parents who made the children as they are? What insights can others gain into child genius from their example? This creative blog will reveal all, day by day. www.scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com
What is a scientific child prodigy? It is a child, aged 11 or under, who shows an adult level of ability in a scientific area. It is a child whose thinking is far beyond their years, who can match or exceed the intellectual function of an adult in at least one area. Ainan Celeste Cawley, at just six years old, is one such. He takes all opportunities to learn, whether at home or school. His reading is adult science material found online on the internet, his questions are often unanswerable by adult scientists. This has been proven by sitting him down with a group of scientists and letting him ask away: generally a ruminative silence is all that meets his questions. (Or an adult effort at deflecting the question, so as to preserve their ego.) It is quite refreshing that a six year old can befuddle professionals, in this way.
Ainan’s interests in science are many, from astronomy, to halogen chemistry, from black holes, to cell biology, and the properties of the elements, particularly the super-heavy transuranics and the transfermium elements. He is fond of compounds, solution chemistry, electrolysis and knows the periodic table by heart. His vision is wide, ranging across the disciplines of physics, biology and chemistry – though with a particular emphasis on the latter. Sometimes his insight seems prophetic, for he sees what is possible, rather than what is merely now. He is able to look ahead and see what might be, from what is. Click here for a typical story about Ainan’s scientific insight: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/09/is-genius-prophetic.html
How about Tiarnan, what makes him a baby genius, and probable child prodigy in the making? Well, he spoke his first words at two months, began crawling at four months, climbing upstairs at five months and two weeks, climbing downstairs at eight months exactly – a very difficult physical feat indeed, for one so young. http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/baby-tiarnan-crawls-downstairs.html
He loves words and gains pleasure from literature, reacting as if he understands its emotional qualities: smiling when he should smile, becoming unhappy when he should be so (he has been doing this since birth). He is very good at deducing the cause of every effect, connecting the two at once, and pointing to the cause. In this he shows the beginnings of an observational scientist.
Fintan is a boy whose imagination is all powerful. He can live inside the conjured creations of his mind. This is what makes him a natural actor. But he is more than that. He is a natural leader, too, whom others follow. For one example of this, go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/09/leader-of-pack_25.html
The blog will follow each of these children as they grow up and give insight into the nature of child prodigy and nascent genius in general. To keep up-to-date with the deeds of this prodigious trio, bookmark www.scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com and visit daily for an update: the site will be maintained regularly. Valentine Cawley asks: "Please be so kind as to recommend this site to your friends, and colleagues, using an emailed link – and suggest that they do the same, in turn. Thanks for your help."
The Cawley family, of Singapore:
Valentine Cawley, 38, Irish. A man who has lived many lives: actor, writer, performance artist (appearing on CNN and Reuters, among others, as "Lord Valentine the Misplaced" ), government physicist (at 17), Arts magazine founder and editor, Cambridge University graduate (a place that proved unwelcoming to anyone who dared showed signs of creativity) – and teacher. He is readying two books for publication. He is ambidextrous, which allows him to write in two colours, at once, on the board, with both hands – to the amusement of his students.
He showed childhood gifts for science, music, art, acting, writing and academia.
Syahidah Osman Cawley, 27, Malay. Apart from being eternally youthful, she has a gift for Art, being able to draw the lines of a face, with clarity and perception, rendering each with a personal style that has no comparison. Incidentally, she is an ambidextrous artist and can draw with both hands simultaneously.
Ainan Celeste Cawley, 6. Born 23rd November 1999. Genius. Child Prodigy. Young scientist. Former pianist, composer. Gifted in art and music. Retentive memory. Highly creative. Probably the world’s earliest talker, earliest walker, earliest runner. Very early reader (first signs at eight months).
Fintan Nadym Cawley, 3. Born June 25th 2003. Highly imaginative, can see the world he creates in his mind. Gifted child actor. Leadership qualities. Whimsical sense of humour. Original thinker. Asks peculiar questions. Physically strong, robust. Brave. Very sweet natured. Very good memory. Able to read, to a degree. A happy child.
Tiarnan Hasyl Cawley, 8 months. Born January 20th 2006. Baby genius. Musically and poetically sensitive. Very quick to understand the cause of things. One of the world’s earliest talkers and crawlers. Courageous. Highly emotional. Uses three word sentences occasionally. (The mean age for this is 23 months.).
