Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Recommended Resources Gifted in math

This question is for those of you who have mathematicaly gifted kids and want to nurture that gift. What do you do? Do you make them take more math, do you challenge them more, do you make them practice math daily?
My son is very gifted in math. I think this giftedness comes from desire to understand the problem as deeply as possible. We are lucky that his current school is able to accomodate him as far as learning math goes. But what do you think should parents do? I am asking, because, when you have a talented musician you have them practice daily ( I know that because my son has to play violin for one hour each day, and soon it will be more than that - see I automatically wrote "has to") and for some reason we do not question that. We all have this understanding that in music you have to practice in order to become better. But what to do when it comes to math? Do you make them solve problems for one hour each day? What if they would rather read a book or play?
After all he is only 11. Anyone in that position?
Ania

Ania,
I think you've mentioned this one, but in case not: http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/

I've also heard good things about MathPath camp: http://www.mathpath.org/

Here's a review of a book you may find interesting: http://www.davidsongifted.org/db/Articles_id_10281.aspx

There are also contests. Although I have a son close in age, it seems that our parenting styles are quite different, so I can't give you any advice. In our house it works better for DS10 to get Math at his level at school (a class aimed for 13 year olds) and let his hometime be for homework, music and diversions. I think that your way has many, many advantages, but it isn't in me to pull if off.
((hugs))
Trinity

Thanks Trinity - you seem to have those links up your sleeve :-)
Will check them out later tonight. Yes, we are in Arts of Problem Solving. Very advance math courses, he is learning that he can't just breeze through math anymore. Thankfuly there is dad with his expertise...
Yep, I am doing tons after school with my son and daughter, mostly because we found out early on that he could not, absolutely could not organize his own time, and when we left him to explore on his own there was tantrum after tantrum. He works best when his world is very structured (apart from his room of course, which has no structure at all but this does not seem to bother him at all;-). Slowly (he will be 12 in 3 months) I can see some changes. He does not need me to be as invloved as he used to, but still loves it when I come to school to do Math Olympiad and still keeps asking if I have already found something interesting for him to do this summer...
Also sending you hugs, Ania

Good for you Ania - you have found what works for your children! Here's another idea for camp - Think Summer Institute!
Best Wishes,
Trin

Does your son have access to a math mentor? Someone who loves math? For me it was never about an hour of extra problem solving. My love of math was encouraged by my mathematical mentor, my father. It was all about

-reading his Scientific American and talking about the articles, especially the puzzles and math
-dad teaching me Fortran so I could explore rates of converging series and then smuggling the punch cards into the computer center at a time when children didn't get access
-the puzzles and problems he wrote on church bulletins so I wouldn�t wiggle during the sermon

In other words, it was all about the small, daily interactions that fostered my interests. I realize that many parents are at a loss because math is not an interest of theirs, but maybe you could find a mentor for your son who can suggest some projects or ideas for exploration.

He just got accepted into a math circle at the U of U, generally open to 9th grade and up. We will see how it goes... Maybe his mentor is awaiting him there... I truly believe in mentoring. My husband, althought extremely good in math and physics (double post degrees) is not a mentor to him at all. He is just dad, with his ideas for science fair projects (which my sons absolutely hates, ideas, not the projects).
I also learned about his amazing AMC 8 score today! I am thrilled.
Ania

Just wanted to point your attention to something that I found on the net today:
http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/061219_bright_minds.html
Hard work is required :-)

As for a mathematical mentor, my son really enjoys the professor he met at the Math Circle. The guy apparently has an ease of explaining even the most difficult things. When he was absent yesterday, a grad student that took his place had none of the qualities (my sons words, I did not meet either of them). It is good that DS is realizing the need to find good teachers/instructors and how important it can be in your future success. He is almost 12 now and I am seeng huge maturation steps. A few days ago, after his sickness, he packed his flight simulator (loves to fly planes, absolutely loves it!) and put it under computer desk with a comment "I am getting too frustrated that I never have time during the week to fly (well, one mission takes well over an hour), so I better wait for the weekend"
And, voila, since that time he has already read a couple of books;-)

Ania,
I have been meaning to congratulate you on your son�s amazing accomplishments in math. He seems to be progressing very well in his area of high aptitude and interest.

As, your link points out, it�s not enough to just have high potential. Hard work, appropriate instruction and opportunities differentiate those who realize their dreams and those who don�t. The continued progression through upper elementary and middle school may be one of the most difficult challenges. It is also a time that divides those who have access to higher levels of instruction and those who don�t (because of lack of money, emotional support or geographical separation).

By high school, many may have the opportunity to enroll in advanced classes, but we have to prepare our kids in the meantime or they may not make the cut (even if the were considered �profoundly gifted� as a child).

Ania,

My 11 year old is also very gifted in math. Luckily, my husband is a Professor in Biostatistics and I have a PhD in Engineering with a minor in Math/Sci Education. We supplement all of our kids' education through our daily interactions and having materials available, but don't have them "practice" math like you would practice an instrument. I do try to say "yes" when they ask me to play a game with them.

If you have the resources, I would recommend buying the kits from a school supply store to help him explore math with manipulatives. We bought a double balance scale, for example, for the kids (we have 3) to explore negative numbers and algebra. We also got the multiplication as area kit that teaches polynomials with plastic squares and rectangles. We often ask him questions, like "How does an octopus do math?" to get him interested in different bases (8 tenticles, therefore base 8). He loved Camp Invention, sponsored by the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Macalester University's Math and CS Dept has a "problem of the week" that gets us thinking. Some of our favorite games are Set, Sequence, Logic Links, Chemisty kits.

I often ask the kids to explain why they think something is true and to generalize it to further situations if they can. I think learning about Bloom's taxonomy and the kinds of questions which are in the Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation levels really equipped me to engage them in deeper thinking.

Sorry to rattle on. I'm feeling particularly isolated today, living in one of the bottom 3 states in education.

Peace and Joy,
Alisha

Thanks Alisha!
I am at work now but I did check out that web page and it looks interesting. Here is a link, if anyone else wants to check it out :-)

http://mathforum.org/wagon/

Ania