Editing Child prodigy (section)

{{short description|Exceptionally precocious child}}
{{redirect-multi|4|Wunderkind|Wonder child|Boy genius|Whiz kid|the song by Christian Walz|Wonderchild|other uses|Wunderkind (disambiguation)|and|Boy Genius|and|Whiz Kids}}
{{pp-pc}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{pp-pc}}
[[File:Portrait of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart at the age of 13 in Verona, 1770.jpg|thumb|[[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]], a well-known child prodigy, started composing at the age of five.]]
A '''child prodigy''' is, technically, a child under the age of 10 who produces meaningful work in some domain at the level of an adult expert.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last1=Feldman |first1=David H. |last2=Morelock |first2=M. J. |title=Prodigies |entry=Prodigies |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Creativity |edition=Second |editor1-last=Runco |editor1-first=Mark A. |editor2-last=Pritzker |editor2-first=Steven R. |date=2011 |publisher=Academic Press |isbn=978-0-12-375038-9 |doi=10.1016/B978-0-12-375038-9.00182-5 |pages=261–265 |quote=For the purposes of this and future research, a prodigy was defined as a child younger than 10 years of age who has reached the level of a highly trained professional in a demanding area of endeavor.}}</ref><ref name="forbes.com">{{cite news |last=Rose |first=Lacey |title=Whiz Kids |url=https://www.forbes.com/2007/02/25/child-prodigies-biographies-lead_achieve07_cx_lr_0301prodigy.html |access-date=3 April 2015 |work=Forbes |date=2 March 2007 |quote=At the moment, the most widely accepted definition is a child, typically under the age of 10, who has mastered a challenging skill at the level of an adult professional.}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Feldman |first=David Henry |date=Fall 1993 |title=Child prodigies: A distinctive form of giftedness |journal=Gifted Child Quarterly |volume=27 |issue=4 |pages=188–193 |doi=10.1177/001698629303700408 |s2cid=144180264 }}</ref> The term is also applied more broadly to describe young people who are extraordinarily talented in some field.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prodigy |title=Prodigy |publisher=[[Merriam-Webster]] |access-date=22 October 2021}}</ref>

The term '''''wunderkind''''' (from German ''Wunderkind''; literally "wonder child") is sometimes used as a synonym for child prodigy, particularly in media accounts. ''Wunderkind'' also is used to recognise those who achieve success and acclaim early in their adult careers.<ref name="Merriam-Webster Dictionary">{{cite web |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wunderkind |title=wunderkind |website=Merriam-Webster|access-date=6 December 2012}}</ref>

Generally, prodigies in all domains are suggested to have relatively elevated [[Intelligence quotient|IQ]], extraordinary memory, and exceptional attention to detail. Significantly, while math and physics prodigies may have higher IQs, this may be an impediment to art prodigies.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Ruthsatz |first1=Joanne |last2=Ruthsatz-Stephens |first2=Kimberly |last3=Ruthsatz |first3=Kyle |date=May 2014 |title=The cognitive bases of exceptional abilities in child prodigies by domain: Similarities and differences |url=https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2014.01.010 |journal=Intelligence |volume=44 |pages=11–14 |doi=10.1016/j.intell.2014.01.010 |issn=0160-2896|url-access=subscription }}</ref>