Redgister, Tablow, etc.
After watching Blake's spelling round, I wonder if he might be dyslexic or have some other kind of learning disability (which plenty of gifted kids do). That was just insanely atrocious.
I don't know, I think he may be too rattled or burnt out. He seemed exhausted this episode or just not fully present. It could just be sleep deprivation.
He may be pushed too much. Not just for this competition, but in general. All these kids are being pressured, but he might just not have the same resiliency. He seems so self critical and upset over everything. I feel sorry for him--he knows he's capable of a lot and just can't perform.
If he had a learning disability, I feel like his tutor(s) or the staff of his school would have identified it.
Maybe, but he's spelling words phonetically, which is something that is done by MUCH younger children who are just learning to read/write/spell. Something is very off with him, and I've seen other folks suggest that his parents went to an outside testing center to essentially "buy" his purported IQ score. If this is the case, I just feel bad for the kid -- his parents are trying to make him into something he's not (a super academic genius).
shareOh, I didn't know about that. That's a shame--the parents have to know that that score is a sham.
It's odd, since the mother studied Silicon Valley tycoons, shouldn't she realize that this kind of pressure isn't what contributes to success?
Either way, it's obvious the kid isn't meant for this kind of competition. Some kids (including Adrian and that super perky Claire) are perfect for this kind of thing. They have the mental and emotional capacity.
Others should stick to tennis. And there's nothing wrong with that!
Yep, but something tells me that Drake is no superstar on the tennis court either!
shareHa, maybe not!
The thing is, there is nothing inherently wrong with the fact that he is average. Most of us are average. I can't hit a tennis ball anywhere -- I'm OK with that. I'm also relatively smart but not a *beep* genius. OK with that, too.
An "average" person can be plenty successful in life, on their own terms. The thing that is f'd up is that his parents are trying to turn him into something he isn't.
I disagree, a lot of people crack under the pressure of exams, true scholars do not. It's not just that they've studied, it's that they know how to take exams and handle pressure / quiz / competition situations and have been trained that way since age 6.
share