How do you spell that?

Fintan, five, is asking strange questions these days. I say "strange" because the questions lead one to wonder what lead him to ask them in the first place.

A few days ago, for instance, Fintan asked his mother, Syahidah: "How do you spell "conspiracy"?"

She was somewhat taken aback at a five year old seeking the spelling of such a word. Where had he heard it? What use would he have for it?

He didn't stop there. Next he asked her: "How do you spell: "confiscate"?"

Again, she found herself surprised. However, at least the word "confiscate" might have more immediate use in the world of a five year old.

Fintan has an interest in language. The puzzle of it, though, is where he encounters these words. I note that he wasn't asking: "What does X mean?" But "How do you spell X?" That seems to imply that the meaning of the words is not the problem, just their spelling.

It is interesting to note the differences and similarities between our three sons. Each is one of a kind, it seems, each with his own outlook, likes, dislikes, preferences and abilities. It is going to be very interesting to watch them grow to adulthood.

I think that fatherhood is the ultimate antidote to boredom: as a father it is impossible to be other than engaged with the present and the future to come, for ones children lead one there, day by day.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and seven months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, five years exactly, and Tiarnan, twenty-eight months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, wunderkind, wonderkind, genio, гений ребенок prodigy, genie, μεγαλοφυία θαύμα παιδιών, bambino, kind.

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