clever children

[Kassee]

Are children of today more clever than their parents or grandparents were. We always hear in the papers about more going to University, or more children getting higher grades at GCSE and more A levels etc etc.

Then we hear they cannot spell as accurately as children could years ago. But is correct spelling and grammer really that important ?

With the use of the internet, travel around the globe, mobile phones, text messaging, and the fantastic documentaries and wild life programmes on the television (we never had a TV when I was young). I would have thought children today were much more advanced than children when I was young (I am 60).

As an example, when I learned my tables, I learned them by rote, I knew them off by heart (and still do) but it was many years before I knew what they actually meant. The teacher taught us to do a sum, and we copied it, there was only one way to do it and that was the way we had been shown. If you thought outside the box - you would be in trouble.

But today children are taught so many different way of approaching every task, they are taught to question everything and to think for themselves, and to have confidence in their own ability.

Gone are the days when children were seen and not heard.

[tenrec]

Define clever.

[alid5]

Children more clever nowadays I would say Yes & No

[boxtops]

Grammar and spelling are extremely important, as are basic knowledge of history, geography, etc. There are young people in this country who have no idea of the relationship of towns and cities to each other, or which towns are in the north or south. Many adults seem to have no idea where they are going, in which direction, when they jet off on holiday.
I'd say yes to youngsters being better at technology etc., but no to them having to use their own imaginations for play games, story telling etc. - it's all in front of them on the tv or game console these days. Personal interaction seems often missing.

[cazzz1975]

maybe in 2011 there is less importance for these children in perfecting grammar and spelling? in a digital world quite an amount of work is done via computer, I wouldn't write off a persons intellect if they made a spelling error.

[scrummyyummy]

Space: that made me laugh! I remember doing that on my calculator! I also knew how to do 'LEEDS'!

[ummmm]

In my experience they are pretty much the same.

[delphfolk]

my grankids had a go at shelloil on the calc with no joy

[sara3]

I thought it was BOOBLESS.

or was that just me? :o/

[Brenden]

After seeing what some of these techno gadgets are doing these days we will not need brains in the future as they do it all for you.

[boxtops]

..then you're lost without it, that's the problem. I still do long division on purpose, to keep my hand in.

[Chaffinch]

My kids (now young adults) are more clever than me, and I hope that their children will be more clever than they are, otherwise how will the world progress?

As for spelling my eldest could'nt spell (neither can I), but she got a first class degree in Maths! horses for courses.

[tenrec]

We will always need brains to invent new stuff.

[annadomino]

ESSO too , 3550 then turn upside down.

[tenrec]

0553

[cazzz1975]

despite the younger generation being regarded as thick, technology is still marching forward, inventions and medical cures are still being achieved. they cannot be that thick now can they..?

[tenrec]

Agree with Cazz

[Chaffinch]

Agree with Cazzz1975, but only the "thick" call the young thick!