HILLSBORO, Tenn. (WTVF) — Five-year-old Connor Samples earned his Mensa membership in February for testing above a 132 IQ — when according to Mensa, the average IQ for kids his age is between 90 and 110.
Mensa is the oldest and largest IQ society in the world with members in 90 countries. Connor is one of only three children aged 5 and under in the state of Tennessee to earn the membership.
"It's an organization that really gives us those resources, provides us with links, resources that parents can become more knowledgeable on how to support and help develop these little gifted minds that they have," explained Connor's mother Marjorie Samples.
His parents realized their son was moving faster than his peers before he was 2 years old.
"He was one and a half and he started recognizing all his alphabet really easily," recounted Marjorie. "He started doing his sight words and things like that at two. And then come two and a half he was reading."
"I'd come home from work and there he is reading subtitles across the TV screen, at just such a young age," said Connor's father Phil. "I was always so shocked."
But it was not just reading Connor was excelling at, it was also math.
"We had some family over and they were kind of teasing. They're like, 'what's one plus two plus three plus four plus five?' And, you know, he was like, '15.' And all of us at the table were like [nodding yes] and then they would be like [pulling out calculators to check him]," explained Phil. "'OK, what's one plus two plus...' and then they'd go on and he'd get them."
Connor started kindergarten at the beginning of the Fall 2022 semester.
"When he started school, I saw regression happening. He came in he wanted to do phonics and I'm like, ‘OK, we could do phonics, buddy, but you already know it,'" explained Marjorie. "We discussed, you know, is keeping him in school something that's good for him? And we decided to wait to see what the school system would come back and recommend for us."
After some persuasion, the school agreed to allow Connor to take a test.
"He tested really well, way above his level. And you know, here I was thinking, 'OK, there's got to be some kind of gifted program, what can you do?' Right? So they only offered about 40 minutes a day, keeping him in kindergarten," explained Marjorie.
She knew that would not be enough for her son based on what they knew he could do so she and her husband talked to the school again.
"They offered that they would push him to first grade. And I was like, 'While that is good, he is surpassing first-grade material.' I mean, he's reading at a third-grade level, he's doing math at a second-grade level or more, you know, it's just like, I don't think this is enough," she said. "And because those were our only options, and there was nothing else they can do. We decided to pull him from the schools from, from the public school and homeschool him."
The couple altered their work schedules and started homeschooling Connor in January.
"My mom does reading and spelling and language arts and my dad does math, social studies and science," explained Connor.
As of the beginning of March, he was already 75% through a math book for the year.
In February, the family also received news Connor tested high enough on the IQ test to qualify for Mensa—they said that was further confirmation they made the right decision to take him out of traditional school.
"We would have lost three years of his life on something he would have already known. So, be an advocate. Continue, you know, nurturing what they have, and if you see it at a young age, even at kindergarten, you know, push for your student or your child to really be tested and have those programs available," implored Marjorie.
Connor's parents said they are working hard to make sure he will continue to socialize with kids his own age as well as those who share his IQ.
As far as what he wants to be when he "grows up," Connor told his mom, "I don’t know, I want to be maybe the president, but maybe a Spiderman, but you know I kind of like The Wiggles but then I think I want to be a fireman. I don’t know. There’s so much I could do. Maybe I want to be all of them."
With the help of resources from Mensa, the couple hopes he can achieve any dream he has.
Phil said," [We want him] to make sure he knows all the different pathways and he can do whatever one he chooses that he wants to do with what he’s been given."
