For more than three weeks was the southern heat. there was not a cloud in the sky: the heat exhausted heaven and earth.

But the sea was breathing, though rarely breathed. And when there is a lonely and weak wave of sea air, all around gulp fresh - and for a brief moment enlivened human body sweating, thirst-quenching of the soul. Everything - people, birds and insects - sought refuge in the dense shade of the trees. Someone in a hurry, running from one tree to another, protecting yourself from the sun. Someone has to stand patiently in the queue to the kiosk to carbonated water to extinguish fever incandescent guts - waiting, anticipating saving pleasure.

The midday heat slowed the pace of life, people made haste, laziness brings, sleepy.

Silence.

Suddenly, loud speech and abrupt sounds struckpeople standing in the queue. One voice - children, phone calls, the other - a female, angry, full of rage. From around the corner there was a young woman with a boy of 10-11 years.

The woman held the boy firmly by the arm and whole body tensed, pulling behind him. He fought with all his strength. So they went, dragging each other.

The mother on the shoulder hung a large sports bag, from which peered branded tennis racket and skates. The boy was carrying in his hand one more racket with bright trademark on the cover and a folder with notes.

The kid jerked his mother, trying to get rid of a strong hand.

- How old are you, trash, repeat! We miss the music, do not give us ice as much as you need, and on the tennis court you do not have enough time to warm up - an angry woman screaming and dragging the boy along.

- I can not ... I do not want ... I have no strength ... - through tears he begged his mother.

- Do not you understand that you will lose everything that we have so painstakingly developed in you - barely controlled anger, the woman tried to peacefully resolve the conflict.

- Imagine: You all will win and you will be the last. And you have such opportunities, such opportunities that my father at your age, and never dreamed of. You willingly ruin yourself ...

- I do not want! I can not! Tired! - Sobbed the boy. But the mother did not want to hear anything, and dragged, dragged, dragged him along. And he continued to resist.

Suddenly some deft movement the boy was able tofree hand. He dropped to his mother's feet folder with notes. And they picked up by the next wave of the sea air, began to settle in the bush, like autumn leaves. Following on the asphalt flew branded racket. From the pocket of her hood popped up a tennis ball. He rode into the street, right under the wheels of cars flying past.

- Want to be the first all - go there myself! I'm over it! Tired! - The boy spun around and walked away.

Woman wiping tears ran after his son ...

The silent turn someone sighed and summed up the dramatic events:

- Yes-ah ... there Wunderkind Wunderkind ...

And then he watched the scene people wereexchange views. They even divided into two camps: one to justify the behavior of the mother, while others supported the position of the son. Discussion with every second became more acute and have differed little from the one just seen.

About soda, no one remembered.

So, a child prodigy ... Who is he? Where does? Where he disappears, leaving behind the expected accomplishments?

The problem is not easy, but interesting. We need to start looking ...

Сначала была распространена анкета. Родители, педагоги, научные работники высказывали свою точку зрения на ряд вопросов. Среди них были и такие:

• Have you ever dreamed to be a child prodigy?

• Imagine that you have the opportunity to become one, if you will agree?

But in conversations with parents, teachers, scientists, thesemore detailed questions. For example: you have the opportunity to become a child prodigy at least for a while - like go to the movies or to wear an extravagant jacket. But with mandatory return to our usual state, our coordinates are inhabited, though not very bright, but reliable - its.

And what is the result?

Every single answer: No!

Is not it surprising unanimity? And it is quite paradoxical: all admire geeks, but nobody wants to be. But what is even more surprising: their children, encourage and even force. Adults grasping at the slightest hint of ability, all the powers invested in it, just a smoldering ember to inflate to a huge flame.

The phenomenon prodigy - like many others -psychology hardly been studied. Therefore, the material expression of its attractiveness and alienation - is unknown. Leaving aside the details, especially the process of its emergence, existence and disappearance, is that we note three points obvious prodigy appeal.

First - age (the younger the child, the higher the estimated he created - regardless of the true value created).

Second - primerivanie level of ability to own achievements (remembering himself at the same age, do you think he can have everything, and I'm being so, almost nothing could).

The third - the early detection of human abilities that lead adult in a state of near shock.

Such are the conclusions made after learning profiles. Not much. And bleak. As a rule, a simplified understanding of the exceptional abilities or ironic attitude to the prodigy.

Но ведь хорошо известно, что каждый вид человеческой деятельности имеет возрастные границы продуктивности. Например, феноменальные детские голоса — так принято думать — исчезают с началом полового созревания. Не будем пересказывать известную историю о Робертино Лоретти — она всем известна: его подстёгивали, не давали отдыха, добывая из исключительных способностей большие деньги. К 13 годам его выжали до капли, а когда ломка голоса закончилась, в душе и теле мальчика уже не было сил и энергии для повторного восхождения на достигнутые вершины.

The paradox with which we are faced here, and morewhat everyone knows: the great singers - one and all - have experienced breaking vote. But it did not prevent them to become what they became. Maybe they just got lucky: a child of them did not geeks, and wise teacher just pointed the way to the heights of excellence.

Here we are back to where we started: who is this prodigy?

Let's try a minute together, dear reader, to holdscientific research, understanding that the child prodigy - a man in whom earlier than their peers, talent manifested action mechanism (one or more of its components). And only this he differs from them.

The main method of our research with you will be watching.

We emphasize: observing the external manifestations of human action (or thought-psychomotor), we will study not external behavior, and vice versa - the internal psychological content of the activity. It is - in principle the installation. Psychological maintenance activities will find on the basis of the hypothesis about the mechanism of talent.

Further description and explanation of the psychological content - is the result of observing the three geeks with different specializations talent mechanism: psychomotor, feelings, thinking.