No rant. I'm glad your child is fine and I didn't mean to suggest otherwise. You're new here, so you probably don't realize that I tend to write long posts.

I'm just suggesting that not *all* GT kids will be fine without help from parents, and it's okay to step in where needed. As your post generalized about GT kids, I wanted to give an alternate perspective: not all GT kids will be fine no matter what. Some need help, and it's okay to give it.

In Lego Robotics, kids, often many multiple kids, have to share a robot. They read the instructions, program the computer, build and test.

That's okay but it doesn't compare to each child getting a pile of blocks and gears and motors in order to problem solve and be creative. YMMV. The highlight at Lego Club was a two week project where they built and competed in a Lego version of a tractor pull.

DS built a pretty impressive manual AND automatic transmission with blocks & gears. At home, he picks bulk blocks over his Mindstorms prolly 95% of the time.

Being "new here" and/or an affinity for "long posts" notwithstanding...

Did I make the sweeping generalization that "ALL" TaG kids need NO help from a parent?

Moving on..........

Here is an interesting article on Terrence Tao's take on gifted education. I found his father's view on Terrence's early education particularly interesting.

http://www.gt-cybersource.org/Record.aspx?NavID=2_0&rid=11273

I actually see a nice blend between both of your philosophies here.

Now play nice friends.

Ah I understand the comment now RPM9 re: LEGO robotics. We haven't done it in a club, only at home so we have one robot for each kid. We also have the LEGO simple machines kit and the LEGO science and tech kit (renamed Motorized Mechanisms) and the boys love just building contraptions with those. I regulate those as to not have any missing parts but they have a huge Box for blox full of bricks to build with whenever they want to. My 4yr old wasn't so much into building his own robots, but he had great fun building Tri-bot and programming it. He took to NXT-G, like a fish to water, lol.

WOW on the manual and automatic transmission!!!

So let me get this straight. Are you thinking that the LEGO simple machines kit and science and tech kit are preferable to Mindstorms?
Thanks for the input, we are new to this and I am looking into it for DD6 and DD8.
I'm trying to figure out what would be our best bet for first purchase.

Incogneato - was your ? for me or RPM9?

Either!!

Both!

Incog - I'm exhausted, heading to bed, I'll give my 2cents in the morning.

Thanks! Look forward to it, Good Night.