I try to expose my dd8 to as much math as I can from different sources. She is currently working on CTY's Math Olympiad (approaches to problem solving), Life of Fred (beginning Algebra), CML sample problems etc. She is also working on probability and statistics.
Although it seems like we are all over the place, the truth is that we for the most part follow the classical path in mathematics and we always come back to the core. She is free to explore and taste higher level math than what she is currently working, but not at the expense of the basic skills, but rather in addition to.
As much as I like some of the aspects of Conceptual Mathematics, I also believe in memorizing times tables, learning long division and learning how to multiply as well as other basic arithmetic. I try to expose my dd to number theory and higher concept math, but basic arithmetic is still the foundation on which everything else is built upon. I have tried to make sure that foundation is strong. I think it gives her more freedom to explore new ideas.
One of the benefits of being highly gifted is the ease with which they understand and absorb new things. They don't have to be limited to one method over the other. The fact that they learn everything so much faster than ND kids, gives them a lot of extra time to play with new concepts/ideas. They just have that much more time.
Last edited by bianc850a; 07/19/08 03:42 PM.
