If at age 9 my son scores as well as the average MIT freshman on the SAT I and the SAT II subject tests, then I will have him use MIT Open Courseware and other resources to study what those students are studying, at least if my son wants to do so.
I don't want to read too much into a couple lines, but this sounds like falling into the calculus trap. Normal math curricula and tests like the SAT/ACT are very shallow. Going deeper may be better than going faster.
http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Resources/articles.php?page=calculustrapI had previously read this essay and do not agree with it. Most people who are very good at math are not going to be mathematicians but will use it as a tool. Calculus is a useful tool, and if a student takes calculus earlier, he will be able to take a "real" physics or economics course earlier. I have bought an AOPS algebra book, and if my son uses other AOPS books, including the one on calculus, that should alleviate the problem of alleged shallowness.
