Alas, many believe in such a division of all people. We often hear:
- “My child is a humanist, mathematics is not for him.”
- “A humanitarian or technical mindset is something that is inherent in nature. Abilities either exist or they don’t..."
It is noteworthy that “naturalists” (people with a natural-scientific worldview - biologists, paleontologists, geologists, doctors) generally remain outside history. Where should they be classified in this “one-sided” classification?
“Where does the firewood come from?”
Let's figure out where the opinion, even the stereotype, came from that people are divided into “techies” and “humanists”? We can talk about a “everyday” and “scientific” distinction.
| Household | Scientific |
| Anyone who is more interested in “technical” subjects (mathematics, physics) and does better in them, loves to design something, and creates is considered a “techie.” If he talks more willingly about ships plowing the expanses of the Universe, and writes poetry, that means he is a “humanitarian.” | Previously, scientists believed that there was a kind of “brain map”: the better developed the area “responsible for certain abilities,” the higher they are. There is evidence of a genetic predisposition to specific abilities, and the situation can only be influenced if the desired ability is developed in the critical period of early childhood. |
Wherever our misconceptions about a bipolar world, the confrontation between humanists and techies, are rooted, the stereotype is very popular. It’s easy to associate yourself (or your child) with one of two “understandable” groups! It is not surprising that funny contrasting pictures in the form of reposts are flying across social networks like hot cakes:
Who looks more naive?
Who looks smarter?
Who is better at finding an approach to a child?
Source of illustrations: AdMe.ru
Borders hinder development - it's time to debunk myths!
The everyday division between humanists and techies does not stand up to criticism:
- Any personality traits, for example, emotionality, practicality, can be inherent in any person. Their severity is influenced by many factors.
- A child’s success in subjects and interest in them are often predetermined not by abilities, but by the personality and talent of the teacher, the child’s curiosity, parental support or an “infectious” example.
- Even with a stretch, people with a natural-scientific worldview and interests cannot be classified as either humanists or technologists.
- Quite a lot of people are successful in both the humanitarian and technical fields. So, to study foreign languages, sociology, social studies, and to be a successful entrepreneur, you need to be both a technician and a humanist.
Mikhail Lomonosov was an outstanding physicist and chemist, and at the same time wrote odes and poems, highly appreciated by his contemporaries.
Lewis Carroll, who taught logic and wrote a world-famous children's book, is he a humanist or a techie? :)
LogicLike - for a conscious rejection of the usual everyday divisions. The correct life position of parents is the first step towards creating conditions for the comprehensive development of the child.
All children are able to expand their “basic boundaries” and benefit from learning in every subject and area of development.
Is there scientific evidence that anyone can become “anyone”?
Scientific perception of humanists vs. techies have been repeatedly refuted:
- In the 60s of the last century, American scientists were able to prove that the brain, like a muscle, can be pumped up. They called this human feature neuroplasticity - the ability of the brain to form new neural connections depending on human activity: actions and accompanying thought processes.
- The researchers did not stop there and that humans have another superpower - neurogenesis, i.e. can literally “grow” and form neurons of the desired properties and quality in his brain. If you want to do well in math or become a polyglot, solve problems more often or learn foreign words. Even if there is a feeling that technical sciences or foreign languages are “not your thing.”
- Scientists have proven that mathematics helps you succeed in the humanities and solve life problems, and music (where would you classify it, by the way?) develops mathematical abilities.
- Stanford researchers have shown that in the long term, if a child doesn't give up and isn't labeled as a math geek, over time he will achieve greater success and a better understanding of math than someone who was once quick at doing math. .
How stereotypes affect our children
Researchers and educators insist that math ability (as well as ability in other technical subjects) must be properly understood and assessed. In fact, everyone has them: it’s not just about the talent or skill to subtract or multiply, but also to generalize, analyze, compare, reason and make decisions. Unfortunately, traditionally a child is considered gifted in mathematics if solutions come to him quickly. In fact, the speed of coming to a decision is an innate indicator (like temperament), and in principle it does not affect the ability to decide.
The fundamental difference between “techies” and “humanitarians” is not what these people are capable of (for they are capable of almost everything and both!). The difference is in what people strive for, what is closer to them, what comes with less effort, and from what activities they receive more pleasure and satisfaction.
Unfortunately, the “humanitarian-technical” classification is a good excuse for laziness or lack of motivation. In fact, often “not given” = “didn’t want to spend enough time and effort.”
Everyone can do well in school math.
When a child takes his first steps or tries to speak, he falls over and over again, distorting words and meanings. But we don’t think it’s “not given.” A similar principle should apply to any occupation or skill that a person seeks to master.
Mathematics is one of the “languages” of the modern world, mastering which is worth investing time and effort. Mathematics helps to understand the world around us and influence it, but - similar to learning foreign languages - it is not easy for almost anyone.
You don’t need a “technical” mindset to understand personal finance, loans, investing, calculate bonuses and bonuses due at work, or help your child with homework in technical subjects. An understanding of mathematics, as well as the basics of mathematical thinking and the laws of logic, is sufficient.
If you really want, you will definitely learn to think like a mathematician, and you can teach this to your child.
At the intersection of disciplines
There are professions that cannot be classified as “technical” or “humanitarian” by default. A striking example is a programmer. Even more striking is the profession of the future: designer of virtual reality, virtual worlds and spaces. Every decade there are more and more examples, and even familiar, “ancient” professions, such as accountant, librarian and doctor, are becoming more and more “interdisciplinary”.
Sociologist and journalist Malcolm Gladwell formulated the “10,000 hour rule” in his book “Geniuses and Outsiders.” It is this number of hours of practice that can make any person a “techie” (or “humanist”). The researcher claims that the so-called “genius”, “giftedness” may or may not affect the results and success in any activity. But perseverance always has a positive effect. And again the banal but true conclusion is confirmed: 1% of success is ability, 99% is work. These numbers are conditional and are given for clarity; in life everything is much more complicated.
So what should you prepare your child for?
Teach him to think! Namely, to reason, analyze, compare, and look for non-standard solutions. In general, hello, interesting tasks!
To begin with, you can simply get acquainted with the classic educational tasks and entertaining LogicLike puzzles.
But to achieve noticeable results you need perseverance, discipline and regularity.
The next time you have the feeling that the exact sciences or humanities are “not given” to your child, remember:
- Don't use labels (especially in the presence of a child - children are very suggestible).
- Do not rush your child; the answer about abilities and inclinations may not come immediately (and may not come at all in the way you expected - “interdisciplinary”).
- Remember about neuroplasticity - strive to create new connections in the child’s brain. Constantly challenge him to solve different types of tasks and problems.
At the same time, be sure to believe in him and support him in every possible way, and
Today, parents looking for a suitable educational institution for their child have a wealth of choice. Language lyceums, physics and mathematics gymnasiums, a lot of special development programs... And this, of course, is wonderful. However, there is one “but” - the program, even the most progressive and beautiful, must, first of all, be liked by the student himself. But it also happens that ambitious parents choose a school for their child, guided solely by their own considerations about what is better and more prestigious.
And then the child suffers for years, cramming several foreign languages without much success and resting his soul only in mathematics lessons, where instead of boring and heavy texts he is offered diagrams and formulas - so clear, simple and interesting. Or he stares blankly at the strange symbols of all sorts of sines, cosines and integrals that look like dog tails, which are hammered into his head every day, and reads a collection of poems under his desk.
Only “physics and mathematics”!
Of course, I'm exaggerating slightly. In fact, there are very few such children - gifted in the humanities and at the same time completely incapable of exact sciences, or, conversely, born “techies” who cannot put two words together - only one or two percent. More often it happens differently: a talented child, as a rule, shows good abilities to study any subjects. But still, in some area he is more gifted. In which?
Last year, the school where my child studies “grew” in status - from an ordinary secondary educational institution it became a physics and mathematics school. And at the end of the school year, my seventh-grader son surprised me with the news: their class was being disbanded, and the students had to choose where to study next. They offered specialized physics, mathematics and natural history classes or study according to the standard general education program. Before deciding which class to choose, we compared programs. In natural history there is less mathematics than in physics and mathematics, but more than in ordinary. But there is an English lesson every day. And a strong chemistry program. Where to stop?
Children were not forced into classes - parents were free to choose a program for their child. Meanwhile, the school psychologist worked with seventh-graders: using extensive tests and projective techniques, she found out the level of intelligence, learning abilities and individual inclinations of the child. And then she advised each of them which program was best to choose. In general, my child’s choice of a natural history class did not surprise me. It seemed to me that my son was always more drawn to natural sciences and humanities. And mathematics... Come on, I'll miss it! Imagine my surprise when they said that, based on the test results, my child should go to a physics and mathematics class: his logic and abstract thinking abilities turned out to be “at the top.” And one of his classmates, to whom, according to his son, his parents categorically said: “Only physics and mathematics!”, was recommended to choose a softer program. But the physics and mathematics class is the most prestigious... How to find out who your child is - a techie or a humanist? At what age do aptitude for the exact sciences or humanities usually manifest?
Our consultant is psychologist of Kyiv Physics and Mathematics School No. 185 Elena Smirnova:“Previously, we tried to provide additional training to the child in those subjects in which he was not able to do well, in order to “reach” him at least to the average level. Now psychologists have come to the conclusion that it is necessary to develop his strengths as much as possible. And they will drag everything else along with them like a “locomotive.”
Do not read and count, but think and retell
Cases when the direction of a child’s abilities can be seen very early, in preschool and primary school age, are extremely rare. Of course, if a child draws or sings well, reads poetry with expression, we can talk about artistry, artistic or musical talent. But when in kindergarten they tell the mother that the child absolutely needs to go to physics and mathematics class, this is written with a pitchfork. Does your child count well and know how to add and subtract? This is amazing. But this does not at all mean that he has mathematical thinking. Until about 7–8, or even 9 years old, children’s thinking is visual and figurative. Mathematics presupposes the ability to analyze. What is analysis? This is the ability, using previous experience, to predict the situation and build new structures. It comes later, after 9 years.
In principle, we are all born with potential inclinations for any type of activity. In other words, we are capable of anything. The only question is, will these inclinations of ours develop into abilities? Specialists from the Kyiv Research Institute of Speech Therapy found that between inclinations and abilities there are two buffer systems called “simultaneous” and “successive”. Behind these “scary” names lie our brain’s ability to think sequentially and the ability to mentally “grasp” the entire array of information at the same time. If a child aged 3 to 6 years is given exercises to develop these two forms of thinking, then when he comes to school, he will know what to do with any material and can easily cope with the most complex tasks. The only question is, what kind of exercises are these? It is no secret that many parents who want to prepare their child for school as best as possible try, first of all, to teach him to read and count. So, there is NO NEED to teach a child to read from the age of three. He will learn this anyway. And he will learn four operations of arithmetic, he won’t go anywhere.
What then is needed? General, basic development. Teach him to speak, retell, give detailed answers to questions. When telling him fairy tales, don’t be lazy to ask: “What would you do in the hero’s place? Let's come up with a new ending for the fairy tale."
It is necessary to promote as much as possible any manifestations of children's creativity. A child draws on wallpaper - do not scold him, but, on the contrary, give him more paper and pencils, hang sheets of whatman paper on the walls. Model with him from plasticine, collect construction sets. A wonderful thing is sand therapy. Build sand castles on the banks of a river or sea (this activity, by the way, also has a good effect on adults). Take him to the theater and on excursions. And communicate, communicate, communicate! And classes with a tutor before first grade will do more harm than good. What do tutors usually do? They “run through” the first grade program with a preschooler. Then such a “trained” child comes to school, and at first he is simply not interested in learning - he already knows everything. And later, when new material comes on and the child doesn’t understand something, he becomes scared and offended. And interest in studying disappears.
When choosing a school for your first-grader, look not for a good program, but for a good teacher - this is the most important thing for him now. In order to study successfully, a primary school student, first of all, needs a situation of success. Psychological comfort is an environment in which all abilities develop. Therefore, do not skimp on praise: “You are great, you will succeed.” And in no case do you scold for bad marks, but look for the reasons for failure. The child did not understand something - he needs to explain. Otherwise, it happens that even with the most wonderful program, the teacher simply “shuts down” the student and extinguishes his interest in learning.
We study physics - we improve ourselves... in languages?
It is no coincidence that in most educational institutions all special programs begin around the fifth grade. It is at this age that the child’s inclinations are more or less determined, and it is clear whether he can cope with a more complex program. In addition, in the middle of adolescence (on average, 10–13 years), the centers responsible for analytical thinking have already been formed in the brain.
In the old Soviet times, it was easier for parents to determine the child’s inclinations - there were a lot of clubs and sections to which they could take their child for a nominal fee (or even free). The best option is to let him try as many activities as possible. The circle in which he will remain is his. How do professional psychologists determine a child’s strengths and weaknesses? There are a lot of special tests for this. At our school, we use the Cattell test to determine a child's abilities. It is good because it can be adapted for a child aged 6 to 16 years and is based on a person’s general ability to adequately assess the relationships between objects. This includes the ability to continue logical chains, the ability to find unnecessary things, and abstract thinking. The first block of test tasks reveals an inclination towards the exact sciences, the second - towards the humanities.
In first grade we just look at the kids. In the fourth, fifth and seventh they take tests. The percentage of children whose direction of abilities is clearly defined by the fourth grade is very small; in the fifth grade one can already speak with greater confidence about the child’s inclinations. Specialized education in our school begins only in the eighth grade, so we test seventh graders again, raise the test results for previous years, and then we make recommendations.
On average, approximately 5–7 percent of children show very high abilities in both the exact sciences and the humanities. 12 percent of very capable children have narrowly focused inclinations, but still these are not “pure” techies or humanists. Most often, mathematical and natural science or natural science and humanities abilities are combined in pairs. Children of average abilities show good results in both the exact sciences and the humanities. But children who are mathematically gifted and humanely untalented (or vice versa) are extremely rare: there are only 1–2 percent of them.
This suggests that in the overwhelming majority of cases one cannot talk about narrowly focused abilities. They develop comprehensively. How was it before? For example, a child’s weak point is mathematics. This means that we will study mathematics intensively in order to bring it at least to the average level. Nowadays in psychological practice they come to the conclusion that it is necessary to develop as much as possible not weaknesses, but rather strengths. And they will drag everything else along with them like a “locomotive”.
"Right draft dodger" with a big head
Tests are, of course, good. But they also do not give a 100% result. It happens that children are worried and afraid to answer tasks. It also happens that a potentially smart child has low self-esteem. Not being confident in his own abilities, he tries to spy on his neighbor’s answers.
Therefore, we also use other methods. For example, a drawing is a manifestation of our subconscious. If you can adjust the result in a test, then this will not work with a drawing: the subconscious will still bend its own. And from what is depicted, many interesting conclusions can be drawn. Let's say we ask children to draw a person. The area that is responsible for intelligence is the head. And how big or small it is shows... no, not the child’s mind, but his attitude to intellectual activity. This may be a child with very low intellectual potential. But the large head in his drawing suggests that he is eager to make the most of this potential. On the other hand, for a child with great potential, physical strength or beauty may be the main ones - and the person’s head in his drawing will be small. In a word, the drawing does not show the presence of abilities, but the desire to develop them and use them.
How can you determine from a drawing whether you are inclined towards the exact sciences or towards the humanities? If the image deviates to the right, then with a high degree of probability we can say that the child is attracted to the exact sciences. If to the left, then in front of us is most likely a humanist. But this, of course, is just one of the criteria. In order to clearly build a child’s profile, a comprehensive study is needed. Fortunately, now every school has a psychologist. In addition, there are many psychological centers, and concerned parents can go there.
"Rebels", "underground fighters" and "fugitives"
The most interesting thing about the tests is that they are not tied to school grades. Moreover, the test results make it very clear when grades are deserved and when they are not. Quite often it happens that an excellent student has poor results, while an inveterate poor student demonstrates a very high level of intelligence and abilities. Therefore, a child gets a bad grade not because he is stupid, but because his relationship with the teacher simply did not work out. Or, on the contrary, a good student “gets” through diligence and diligence, and not through intellect.
Many teachers have completely false ideas about the level of giftedness of their students. We have often seen that teachers often equate intelligence with school grades. They see grades as the main criterion of talent - in a word, they look at the effect, not the cause. When characterizing a student, teachers, for the most part, are guided by the following characteristics:
Discipline;
- success;
- abilities (without specifying exactly what abilities - “capable”, and that’s all!);
- scrupulousness, perseverance in achieving educational goals;
- interest in learning;
- diligence;
- authority among comrades;
- appearance.
As you can see, this list does not indicate the true motivation for learning (only “interest”, which is not in the first place), nor intelligence, nor self-esteem and level of aspirations, nor communication skills. Teachers are not interested in the degree of internal freedom of the student, his sense of responsibility. Finally, they do not separate the general and special abilities of the student.
A child's school status does not at all reflect the true level of his abilities. A truly smart and gifted child can be either an excellent student or a “third-rate” student at school. This does not depend on intelligence, but on the psychological characteristics of the student.
There are several “school types” of gifted children
1. "Best student" Everyone loves him, he himself does what and how he is told. Loves to be liked.
2. "Rebel". He argues with everyone and is difficult to communicate with. When something interferes with the achievement of his goals, such a child often experiences a state of frustration - emotional and volitional tension.
3. "Underground worker." He knows that talent is not paid for, but, on the contrary, it is demanded. Therefore, he strives to “keep his head down” and “be like everyone else.”
4. "Fugitive". Drops out of the school system and cannot adapt to the demands of the school and teachers.
5. "Two-Faced" Lagging behind, has physical disabilities. Everyone considers him weak and does not notice his talent.
6. "Purposeful". Independent and autonomous. He knows his worth and knows what he wants. The best type for developing an individual program.
Each of these types has its own style of behavior, its own needs, its own system of relationships, its own emotional-volitional status. And, of course, everyone needs their own approach, both at school and in the family.
And parents should remember one thing. The child is not their continuation. This is a separate person with his own thoughts, desires, and way of thinking. How scary it is to learn and understand that for the rest of your life you have to do something that you don’t like. But while the child is in school, it is not too late to change something. When choosing a program for your child, remember this and do not force him to do something he does not like.
7 ABILITY SYSTEMS
LOGICAL-MATHEMATICAL. The ability to generalize, the ability to think sequentially, operate with a system of symbols, ease of transition from direct to reverse train of thought, flexibility of thought processes. In the future, such a child will be suitable for the field of activity of a philosopher, mathematician, or scientist.
SPATIAL. The ability to see the world in images, visual creativity, the ability to create your own images. Drawing, design, pictographic design - these are the areas in which a spatially gifted person will be interested.
SOCIAL. People with this type of giftedness are best at communicating with others. They know how to identify and evaluate the characteristics of others and understand their feelings. Gifted with “social intelligence,” i.e., abilities necessary for future teachers, politicians, and salespeople.
EVALUators. The ability to evaluate characteristic personality traits, understanding the motives of others’ behavior, reflexivity - all these are traits of the leading intelligence of psychologists, doctors, social workers, and lawyers.
KINESTHETIC. Kinesthetic intelligence is inherent in those who work in movement - these are mainly athletes, dancers, and weavers. And, by the way, talented surgeons are also endowed with high kinesthetic abilities.
LINGUISTIC. Verbal (linguistic) intelligence, necessary for the development of the abilities of poets, translators, writers, historians, provides for the colorfulness of memory images, a sense of language, the development of an aesthetic sense, and creative imagination.
MUSICAL. A sense of rhythm, size, tone, intonation - this is the intelligence inherent in musicians.
Of course, neither type of intelligence exists separately. But it is also true that the abilities of gifted people are usually determined by the following combinations:
- intellectual analysts;
- artistically gifted;
- leaders, organizers;
- psychomotor gifted;
- capable of specific learning.
7 tips for parents who want to develop their children's abilities
1. Avoid one-sidedness in your studies and upbringing.
2. Do not deprive your child of games, fun, fairy tales, create conditions for the release of children's energy, mobility, and emotionality.
3. Help your child meet basic needs, since a person whose energy is constrained by solving everyday problems is less capable of achieving heights of self-expression.
4. Leave your child alone and let him do his own thing. Remember - if you want the best for your child, teach him to do without you.
5. Support any creative manifestations of the child, sympathize with his failures. Avoid criticism and low assessment of your child's creative abilities.
6. Respect your child’s curiosity and new ideas. Answer any questions, even those that, in your opinion, go beyond what is permitted.
7. Teach your child not what he can do on his own, but only what he can master only with the help of an adult.
Measuring the ears
Russian scientists have developed a method that makes it possible to determine a child’s potential inclination towards exact or humanities disciplines at an early age.
They found that a person's creative abilities depend on the size of his... ears.
If, for example, your left ear is larger than your right, then most likely you are more gifted in the exact sciences. If the right ear is larger, you have a typical humanist. The difference in ear size can be minor - only 2–3 millimeters. But even this difference is enough to determine the leading hemisphere of the brain.
One person can write good prose, poetry, draw beautifully, but understanding the structure of even a relatively simple device is a difficult task for him. And the other, no matter how hard he wants, won’t rhyme a couple of lines, but with the technique “on target.” This is understandable and natural, because one of them is a “humanitarian”, and the other is a “techie”.
A person of a humanitarian mindset, when considering some issue or phenomenon, mainly pays attention to the most memorable, striking signs. He is capable of logical thinking, but to a certain limit. When memorizing some new information, a humanist uses such features as partial coincidence in several of the most significant characteristics, and sometimes in just one of the most characteristic characteristics. Humanities scholars, as a rule, classify secondary features as insignificant details, and therefore do not pay due attention to them.
That is why it is difficult for a pronounced humanist to achieve success in such purely technical disciplines, for example, physics, mathematics, chemistry, etc. After all, it is necessary to carefully take into account absolutely all known information, down to the most insignificant.
How does a “techie” person think?
For a pronounced “techie”, the very idea that you can neglect some information simply because it is not very significant is practically impossible. Of course, a person with a technical mindset also knows how to distinguish the main from the secondary, but he considers and takes into account absolutely everything, down to the smallest detail. Trying to understand something new or remember some information, a “techie” cannot limit himself to a formal coincidence of some of the most significant features, as a humanist would do. He will definitely check whether the secondary signs coincide, and only after that will he remember the information or draw a conclusion. One single fact, a sign that stands out from the general series, will force the technician to check and think about everything again.
A technician may seem too meticulous and slow (especially from the point of view of a humanist). But this is just a natural consequence of the peculiarities of his thinking and behavior.
Therefore, the age-old debate about who is more important – “physicists” or “lyricists” (that is, techies and humanists) makes no sense. Both are equally important in life.
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When your child grows up, it is time to think about his future profession. One of the arguments that is used in this case is that the student belongs to the type "techies" or "humanists". As a rule, when talking with a teacher you can hear the following phrase: " Your daughter is a typical humanist, why should she go to MEPhI??" or " Your son is a born techie; computer science and mathematics are easy for him"These tips help parents decide between humanitarian and technical professions. Read a few more articles on various topics that decipher youth jargon, for example Signa, Riley, Pff, etc.
However, another question arises here, for example, will it be easy for a “humanitarian” to follow the financial path? Can a “techie” master the specialty of a biologist? It is worth understanding what qualities make a person a supporter of humanitarian or technical education.
What does Humanitarian mean? What does Techie mean?
Let's figure out what is hidden behind these two definitions, and what is actually within the control of people with one or another clearly defined type.As a rule, what child techie or humanist show his character traits, combined with interests and success in relevant disciplines. Of course, over several generations certain stereotypes techies and humanists, but the specific individuality of a person sometimes cannot always fit into the framework allotted to it.
It is generally accepted that trained humanist is capable of getting very high grades in physics and mathematics, although according to his “status” he is supposed to have grades no higher than “4” in these subjects. However, a lower grade for a student in the humanities would be excusable, since there is a well-established opinion that students in the humanities have no aptitude for mathematics.
They are like fish in water, absorbing history, literature and foreign languages. People with this type of personality love cinema or theater, and can often speak in public because they have a great tongue. For this reason, they are able to empathize strongly, then this sensitivity helps them engage in creative activities and immerse themselves in the worlds of classical literature. Humanists are prone to a romantic perception of the surrounding reality; they seem to wear rose-colored glasses all their lives, they are emotional and vulnerable, they have a “subtle” soul. This type of personality has well-developed imaginative thinking and imagination. There are rumors, not yet confirmed by anything, that the left hemisphere of the brain is dominant among techies, and the left hemisphere among humanities scholars.
Against, techies are considered more active, energetic, but at the same time down to earth. They have remarkable perseverance and determination. They are often considered people who are more confident in themselves and their actions. Their minds work with high speed, consistency and clarity. At school, they gravitate more towards physics, mathematics and computer science, on a first-name basis with any device, from a smartphone to a computer. However, despite the fact that techies feel more confident, they do not like live communication, which they successfully replace with intragroup chats and forums.
Techies VS Humanities