Beyond the Math Box: How a Dad Guides His Boy Through the Amazing World of Math

In school when they tell you you have to learn your multiplication table and graph a parabola before you can learn to do real mathematics they are lying to you! - Vi Hart, What was up with Pythagoras?

Well, "lying" is a bit harsh. "Misinformed" is a better choice. But first, a little background.

I'd like to explain how it is that I've been able to teach my son Adam some math concepts that generally only math and physics majors in college learn.

I should warn you that one advantage I have with Adam is that he learns so easily and so well that I don't actually have to be a good teacher, so there is a chance this technique won't work for everyone. But I think it's worth trying.

I don't push Adam when I'm teaching him.  I'm more of a guide helping him to explore his world. I help him to discover things faster, and I lead him to things I think he's likely to be interested in. Sometimes what interests him and what doesn't surprises me. I'll give him a couple of tries and if he's not interested move on to something else.

We'll study each topic to the depth he wants and then move on to something else that interests and challenges him. It's a lot of fun to see how excited he gets sometimes when he learns about a new concept and sees how it interrelates with everything he already knows.

Sometimes he gets "stuck" on something. I don't mean that he doesn't understand, I mean that he'll just be so interested in something that he'll get fixated on it and  want to do it over and over. Sometimes I have to work a bit to get him to try something else.

Learning about other subjects can naturally lead into talking about math (and vice versa). We watched a video on a large telescope and how it has computers that adjust the shape of its parabolic mirror in order to focus it. That naturally led to a discussion about how a parabola is a shape and the properties parabolas have that are useful for a telescope, and that actually led into the topic of the other conic sections.

A lot of people believe that math builds upon itself in a linear tower, and that you have to master each topic before you can start to begin study of the topic after it, but this isn't true. There are actually a lot of different things that don't build on each other nearly that strongly. That means that you don't have to worry about teaching things exactly in the traditional order.

You don't always have to master one topic to understand the things that are based on it, either. Most people couldn't tell you anything about the Peano axioms (arithmetic is based on them), but they are still quite capable of adding two numbers together.

Even when some level of understanding of a dependency is required, it's often not at full depth.

If Adam gets interested in something that requires him to strengthen his abilities or understanding in some prerequisite, it gives him the motivation to do so. For example, Numberphile got Adam very interested in the Fibonacci numbers, and his proficiency in adding multidigit numbers soared because he wanted to be able to compute the sequence on his own.

So he may not have long division mastered yet, but that's ok -- he's six, after all, and he can divide well enough to do modulo arithmetic and convert numbers to base 12, so he's satisfied. He hasn't really needed long division for much other than that. I'm not worried -- he'll pick it up when he needs it.

Obviously, this technique can't work as well in a large group, but I think it's a great way to do individual tutoring for students of any ability level, especially those that have some level of interest in math.

Genius Knows No Bounds

Profoundly gifted children come from every walk of life. They can be found in every socioeconomic class and race. Genius also lies in many different areas: languages, art, music, mechanics, engineering, mathematics, the ability to read people, creativity, organization, science, etc. Profoundly gifted children may or may not be on the autistic spectrum. Just because a child is profoundly gifted in one area does not mean that all learning comes easy to them. In fact, the term twice exceptional refers to those who are both exceptionally gifted, and fit in the group often labeled learning disabled.

When a child is not allowed to accelerate, and grow in his abilities, the child and society pay the price. Each of these profoundly gifted children carry with them an intensity. Their drive and brilliance are at their very core; it is a huge part of what makes them tick. When deprived of nurturing and acceptance they often begin to close down. This can be seen as underachieving (so as to fit in), becoming disruptive, depressed, withdrawn, turning to gangs for acceptance, and/or anger. Their souls are crushed. Those who could have achieved so much are resigned to mediocracy, never getting to see what they might have done and become. This is a loss for the child and society.

When a profoundly gifted child is nurtured and allowed to grow and achieve, their genius shines. When given opportunities for growth they accelerate at unprecedented levels. When they are validated for who they are, and what they are interested in, they blossom. Their lives are focused and filled with enthusiasm. Because of their unique gifts they are able to make huge and significant contributions to society. By nurturing our profoundly gifted children we are nurturing one of our greatest and most irreplaceable natural resources. Their lives are changed for the better and so is the world around them.

Michelangelo is an example of a child who was nurtured in his profound giftedness. At a young age he was tutored and mentored at the feet of the greatest artists of his time. Hundreds of years later Michelangelo is a household name and his works will forever be treasured.

At Ore Academy we are reaching out to families with profoundly gifted children regardless of where they come from and what challenges they may have. Your contributions will help make Ore Academy accessible to these families and children.

Join us in becoming involved in the cause of nurturing these exceptional children. Visit www.OreAcademy.org, subscribe to our blog and newsletter, share with friends, or donate time, money, or talents. Because of your generosity genius will shine! Perhaps one day you will be able to look back and say, “I helped a Michelangelo, Mozart, Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Helen Keller, Stephen Hawking, or Bill Gates reach their greatness.”

Together we are making a difference!

Challenges of Raising Extremely Bright Children

Living with a profoundly gifted child or two can be exhausting, to say the least. Their intelligence bounces off the walls, sometimes even onto the walls.

You might be living with one of these children if:

1. Your child at a very young age discovers that she knows more than you. Why should she pay attention to the directions you are giving?
   
   
2. You walk into the living room only to find the DVD player dissected all over the floor; he had to know how it works.
   
   
3. Your child is bored, bored, bored at school. His teacher tells you he is acting up in class, and won't finish the busywork he is assigned.
   
   
4. In an effort to fit in, your child underachieves. She is tired of standing out.
   
   
5. Your bathroom has become a laboratory. All the contents of your spice cupboard and locked cleaning closet clutter the counter and floor. Your child needs to experiment.
   
   
6. You worry that your child might become a mastermind criminal.
   
   
7. You search high and low to try to find a toy that both fits your toddler's age and his intelligence. You have finally found the one: the pieces are big enough that they wont be swallowed, it can be manipulated by smalls hands, and has a deeper learning value. You come home hopeful that this will hold his attention. He spends all day playing with it, figuring it out, then never touches it again.

8. The children at the playground respond with blank stares as your six year old shares that he knows the cube root of 216. You long for him to have friends and to be understood.
   
   
9. You are constantly advocating for your child. Society wants to keep shoving your square peg child into a round hole.
   
   
10. There is not a school within a two hour drive that is willing and able to teach your child as fast as she can learn, or at least fast enough to keep her from being extremely bored, and disruptive.
    
    
11. You stopped spelling out words to your spouse long ago when your two year old decoded everything you were trying to say over him.

11. You are exhausted from the comments of well meaning people telling you how to raise your child. “If you just...” and “You need to...” are comments that you get too often.
    
    
12. You don't know what to say when asked, “How did you teach them that?”, when you don't even know how they know “that”. How is it that a two year old sits down and plays Beethoven by ear?
    
    
13. Your child got upset about electroweak unification only happening at high energies. Nobody knows what advice to give you about that, or even what you are talking about. Your child is not the only one who gets blank stares.
    
    
14. Your child acts his age. Though he can compete with med students at twelve, he still has the maturity level of a twelve year old. People expect him to act older.
    
    
15. Your child, along with many profoundly gifted, is on the autistic spectrum, adding all the challenges that accompany autism.
    
    
16. You can't remember the last time you went on a date with your spouse, unaccompanied by your children.
    
    
17. All of your energy is consumed by trying to keep up with the intensity.

If you are one of these parents, or know these parents, you are not alone! There is hope! This hope is called Ore Academy.

At Ore Academy we understand the challenges that parents and siblings of profoundly gifted children face and offer workshops and special activities for family members.

Join us this summer at Ore Academy Family Summer Camp. This camp is set up to nurture individual genius, and meet the needs of each child, and their family, in a customized way. Finally there is a place where your whole family fits! Discover new friends who share your challenges.

Ore Academy Family Summer Camp is a place of learning, joy, childhood, family, friendship, and support. At Ore Academy genius shines!

Visit www.OreAcademy.org to get connected and learn more.