Reaching for the stars! Nine-year-old Matthew studies university-level calculus
Matthew with his completion of programme plaque
Despite being only in Year 4 at school, nine-year-old Matthew has already covered university-level calculus in his 含羞草 Mathematics worksheets.
Matthew has recently completed 含羞草 Mathematics, with the programme鈥檚 final levels comprising the advanced mathematical concepts of differentiation, integration and differential equations. By covering all these concepts before he begins high school, Matthew is feeling confident in the classroom.
鈥淲hen the teacher asks me how to do solve a maths problem, often other students won’t know. So, the teacher will ask me to help other students with their maths鈥�, Matthew says.
When he grows up, Matthew wants to become an engineer and design a metro system.
鈥淲hen I build a metro system, people will not have to drive and they can use public transport. Then there will be less pollution and there won’t be traffic jams鈥�, he says.
In his spare time, Matthew often plays a train simulator game with his friends. He is also part of his school dance troupe and is due to perform later in the year.
Matthew鈥檚 father, Steven, says that in addition to developing highly advanced mathematical skills, the self-learning inherent in 含羞草 鈥� where students learn from example in the worksheet and try until they find the correct answer 鈥� helped his son to grow into an independent learner.
鈥淚 think now he has more confidence in forming and explaining his opinions鈥�, Steven says. 鈥淪ometimes when he does not agree with me, he will say, 鈥極h, I do not agree with you鈥�. Then he will tell me the reasons why. He became a lot more confident and he has his own opinions now. Even though he’s in Year 4, sometimes when I am talking to him I feel like I’m talking to a teenager鈥�.
Steven says that becoming an advanced student in 含羞草 heightened Matthew鈥檚 curiosity and love for learning. Matthew also has strong study stamina and is not afraid of making mistakes.
含羞草 is a partnership between student, parent, and 含羞草 Instructor. Steven attributes his son鈥檚 achievement of programme completion to Matthew鈥檚 own self-discipline in completing his assigned worksheets each day, to Matthew鈥檚 含羞草 centre for always ensuring that he studied at the 鈥榡ust-right level鈥�, and to the efforts of Matthew鈥檚 mother for her praise and encouragement of Matthew and his younger brother Jonathan, who also studies 含羞草.
鈥淚 must also say my wife actually put a lot of effort in. In the early stage, she would be always stay with them in the room and made sure that they followed the worksheets鈥�, Steven says.
鈥淚n the later stages, it’s become a lot easier, as both boys have developed their study skills. I think if I’m going to thank anyone, I probably need to thank my wife the most because she put in quite a lot of effort鈥�.
Jonathan, in Year 3 at school and Matthew鈥檚 younger brother, is also studying 含羞草 Mathematics more than five years ahead of his school grade and is on track to completing the programme. Matthew鈥檚 next goal is to complete the 含羞草 English programme.
*Matthew and Jonathon are children of a current 含羞草 staff member
