Most of the questions people ask concerning child prodigies have to do with either the antecedents or the likely consequences of being a prodigy. For example, in order to become a highly creative adult, is it necessary to have been a child prodigy? If not, is it usually helpful, or can it be a disadvantage? To become a child prodigy in the first place, is it essential to have experienced a stimulating and supportive early background? These questions all deserve attention, since they raise important issues relating to the causes of creative accomplishments. Knowing about child prodigies is important because it can help us to understand why and how certain people become capable of impressive creative achievements (Feldman, 1986; Howe, 1982, 1997; Radford, 1990). There is no invariant relationship that links being a prodigy with becoming a creative adult, but there are some illuminating connections between early progress and mature attainments.

I shall examine some of the possible relationships between the state of being a child prodigy and the events that precede and follow it. Rather than addressing questions in a piecemeal fashion, it is advantageous to take a more systematic approach, introducing a general framework that helps structure the discussion. In order to explore the various links and connections, I attempt to identify instances of individuals who fall into each of the categories that are formed by the various possible combinations of the following circumstances:

1. The individual's early family background conditions (stimulating and supportive backgrounds versus unstimulating and unsupportive ones) that are widely known to affect a child's early learning and development

2. Exceptional childhood progress (being a prodigy or a nonprodigy)

3. Mature accomplishments (creative achievements versus their absence)