Please Anyone Know of any links for a gifted 12 year old to help challenge him.

[laurabryant26]

 Back story-My son is gifted in math, I already knew this when the child was multiplying before kindergarten but sadly he was in less than great schools, but now he's transferred mid-year to an awesome school who noticed his sol scores and are planning to put him in gifted math and the gifted program next year (it's too late in the year at the new school) but they have a program called ixl that the school uses where you log into different math concept levels I found out my son has been logging out of his required work which he calls boring and been logging into the calculus section which he apparently absolutely loves. My problem is that I am absolutely math illiterate (I only completed pre-algebra) so when he excitedly trys to explain to me coordinate planes, x and y axis's etc.... I absolutely cannot comprehend or challenge him like he wants. I am looking for free websites and resources that I can direct him to so that he can continue to feed his unending thirst for math. He also likes science as well (he's wanting to grow up to build robots to send into space so I assume he means an aerospace engineer so any links for those would also be greatly appreciated. Please excuse the extra long post but I'm just a mom whose trying to help her son stay challenged on his own. 

[Prometheus]

Khan academy is very good, you should be able to find his level here.

This guy is a good teacher, but the format might be too passive for your son if he's already getting good tuition and just wants to explore by himself.

This youtube channel might be a bit much, but i recommend it not to learn any technical details, but just to realise there are different ways in which to visualise and understand maths.

Get him to teach you maths starting from a level you are comfortable with. Try to learn it, but it matters less that you learn more that he teaches. Teaching is a great way to learn. 

 

[Sensei]

Buy him C/C++ book, download free Visual Studio Express from MSDN, and he will quickly find millions challenging things during programming..

Does your son know of (and how to do math) binary system, octal system, hexadecimal system, etc. ?

 

[laurabryant26]

Just now, Sensei said:

Buy him C/C++ book, download free Visual Studio Express from MSDN, and he will quickly find millions challenging things during programming..

Does your son know of (and how to do math) binary system, octal system, hexadecimal system, etc. ?

 

I have absolutely no idea but he rushed through his last Sol tests (from what a teacher said he was done with it in half the time the other kids were) and he still got a 560 on it but I'm definitely going to ask him when he gets home like I said I'm math illiterate but the hexidecimal word sounds familiar. I do know he definitely is above his peers and not fully interested in the testing they do because it's  below his level so he rushes it, I'm also trying to find programs at our local NASA research center for him as well as math and science innovation centers. I'm just trying to give him every resource I can find out there for him.

[Sensei]

3 minutes ago, laurabryant26 said:

but I'm definitely going to ask him when he gets home like I said I'm math illiterate but the hexadecimal word sounds familiar.

Read Wikipedia articles about different numerical systems.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binary_number

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexadecimal

These two are widely used in computer programming.

 

[laurabryant26]

7 minutes ago, Prometheus said:

Khan academy is very good, you should be able to find his level here.

This guy is a good teacher, but the format might be too passive for your son if he's already getting good tuition and just wants to explore by himself.

This youtube channel might be a bit much, but i recommend it not to learn any technical details, but just to realise there are different ways in which to visualise and understand maths.

Get him to teach you maths starting from a level you are comfortable with. Try to learn it, but it matters less that you learn more that he teaches. Teaching is a great way to learn. 

 

Oh he tries to teach me but I'm a stubborn learner but he does love teaching younger kids like his cousin but he gets very frustrated if he explains a concept and you just don't get it like he wants you too  but I think that is anyone who tries teaching someone  something lol. But I never pressure him in math I let him learn what he wants even if they think he's to young for it because I figure if he is too young for it he just won't get it, and if he gets it more power to him, but definitely going to check out the links and show him them but if it's math or science he probably will soak em up like a sponge lol.

Just now, Sensei said:

Read Wikipedia articles about different numerical systems.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binary_number

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexadecimal

These two are widely used in computer programming.

 

Definitely going to ask him because he wants to do aerospace robotics engineering and I do know that knowing coding would definitely help him in that. 

17 minutes ago, Prometheus said:

Khan academy is very good, you should be able to find his level here.

This guy is a good teacher, but the format might be too passive for your son if he's already getting good tuition and just wants to explore by himself.

This youtube channel might be a bit much, but i recommend it not to learn any technical details, but just to realise there are different ways in which to visualise and understand maths.

Get him to teach you maths starting from a level you are comfortable with. Try to learn it, but it matters less that you learn more that he teaches. Teaching is a great way to learn. 

 

I definitely subscribed to the eddie woo videos because knowing my son he will most likely sit down with pen and paper and watch that because I've learned that his personal combination of want to learn,need to learn,goal orientation and his overachiever spirit (which is sometimes a bit detrimental) causes him to eat it all up.and with it being YouTube that alone will peak him.

[Sensei]

3 minutes ago, laurabryant26 said:

Definitely going to ask him because he wants to do aerospace robotics engineering and I do know that knowing coding would definitely help him in that. 

Buy C/C++ book and give him for a gift.. It's cheap, and you will see whether he will be interested in it, or not. Like I said C/C++ compiler and IDE environment in which programmers work, is free to download from Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN). You have link here:

https://www.visualstudio.com/

Google keywords: "visual studio express download" or "Visual Studio Express 2008 ISO download".

Download it, burn DVD, and install it. It's much faster (requires less powerful computer, thus allows more comfortable work, especially important for beginner) than the more recent versions.

 

[laurabryant26]

2 minutes ago, Sensei said:

Buy C/C++ book and give him for a gift.. It's cheap, and you will see whether he will be interested in it, or not. Like I said C/C++ compiler and IDE environment in which programmers work, is free to download from Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN). You have link here:

https://www.visualstudio.com/

Google keywords: "visual studio express download" or "Visual Studio Express 2008 ISO download".

Download it, burn DVD, and install it. It's much faster (requires less powerful computer, thus allows more comfortable work, especially important for beginner) than the more recent versions.

 

I think I might be able to get a copy from his school because someone said they have a coding/robotics class/club but it's for the older kids, I'll have to call them and see if maybe they do ,if not I'll definitely try to find one. 

[studiot]

Your lad needs also to start learning to 'read around' a subject as well as just lapping up the formal course material.

I would avoid additional outside classes in the same curriculum as the school's.
This will only demotivate him in class.

Two fun books to help here could be

 

Things to make and do in the Fourth Dimension

By Matt Parker

 

Mathematical Models

Cundy and Rollett

[Raider5678]

The absolutely best thing I'd recommend is going to a library, finding books that interest him(mathematics) and letting him select the ones he wants.

Bookstores are another place you could do this, however, then you have to pay for the books.

 

[DrP]

Give him what he asks for  - if he decides he wants to learn a musical instrument - let him and encourage him, but don't force him. If he wants to sign up for a course of language lessons - let him. If he is interested in a particular sport - take him to the practices or allow him to go. Just support him and love him and be there for him.  Best wishes.

 

 

[fiveworlds]

Quote

I absolutely cannot comprehend or challenge him like he wants

Kids like that tend be bad with emotional intelligence and sports. If you want to challenge the kid maybe you should teach him sports and get him teach him to care about other people. 

 

[Raider5678]

1 minute ago, fiveworlds said:

Kids like that tend be bad with emotional intelligence and sports. If you want to challenge the kid maybe you should teach him sports and get him teach him to care about other people. 

1

I'd definitely say that's a myth.

Emotional intelligence isn't automatically correlated to your actual intelligence.

And challenging him with something he doesn't enjoy, while being a challenge, will make him feel less worth because he has a much harder time succeeding at it. 

Meanwhile, the thing he's good at(math) is being wasted trying to hit a stupid ball with a metal stick.

[laurabryant26]

27 minutes ago, studiot said:

Your lad needs also to start learning to 'read around' a subject as well as just lapping up the formal course material.

I would avoid additional outside classes in the same curriculum as the school's.
This will only demotivate him in class.

Two fun books to help here could be

 

Things to make and do in the Fourth Dimension

By Matt Parker

 

Mathematical Models

Cundy and Rollett

Yeah he's already demotivating in class a bit because it's not up to his mental level plus like I said he was in some not so great schools that literally tried to push him under the rug and my son doesn't realize how lucky he is that the other schools didn't "dumb him down" because they said the two most detrimental phrases a person can say to a kid of "you can't" and "your too young"   he ignored them and continued the pursuit on his own so he fell into the belief that all teachers fail him which the previous ones did, this new school is a god send filled with teachers and staff that understand my son's peculiarities, it's just I've run out of resources myself for him lol had to edit this because for some reason it stopped me from commenting on my own post

But five that is an assumption and a very poor one. 

1. sports are not an absolute necessity not everyone has to like them or participate in them 

2- while my son does have some social anxiety issues he's not a pompous ass,

3- he plays outside, has friends and isn't just "book smart" or a book worm

4. And most importantly A parents job is not to make a child into what the parent or society wants them to be, its not their job to force a child into a cookie cutter mold a parents job is to encourage the child to be the very best of who the child wants to be and allow them to discover themselves ,their limits, their desires and passions as long as it is not harming themselves or others

5.some advice dont make assumptions based on stereotypes Because if do your going to miss out on some of the greatest things in life.

Edited May 9, 2018 by laurabryant26
It won't let me comment on my own post otherwise for some reason

[fiveworlds]

Quote

 

I'd definitely say that's a myth.

Emotional intelligence isn't automatically correlated to your actual intelligence.

 

Yeah it is everything is practice this kid is book smart and probably thinks the other kids are stupid so he won't learn to play and he won't learn to care about others. His mom is good at these things and can teach him. 

[hypervalent_iodine]

2 minutes ago, fiveworlds said:

Yeah it is everything is practice this kid is book smart and probably thinks the other kids are stupid so he won't learn to play and he won't learn to care about others. His mom is good at these things and can teach him. 

 

!

Moderator Note

You have no basis for that assessment, and it is not on topic. I ask that you kindly stop with this line of discussion. 

 

[hypervalent_iodine]

!

Moderator Note

fiveworlds, your posts are disappearing for a reason. I have said you are off topic, so please stop. 

 

[mathematic]

math.stackexchange.com  might prove interesting and challenging. 

 

 

[Sensei]

On 9.05.2018 at 2:29 PM, laurabryant26 said:

Definitely going to ask him because he wants to do aerospace robotics engineering and I do know that knowing coding would definitely help him in that. 

If somebody wants to learn how to program robots (or other external hardware) starting from buying Arduino Uno Starter Kit is definitely way to go .e.g.

https://www.ebay.com/bhp/arduino-kit

 

Equivalent of "hello world" in regular computer programming (initial the most basic project), in robotics is making computer controlled LED flashes.

Search YouTube for Arduino projects, and unboxing videos, e.g.

 

 

I attached two videos, show them to your son.

 

Edited May 11, 2018 by Sensei

[studiot]

Two other inspiring books I wish I had acces to at that age are

The Penguin Dictionary of Curious and Interesting Geometry

David Wells

 

 

The Self Made Tapestry

Philip Ball

 

Incidentally all these books can be found second hand at sensible prices, and some for free online as PDFs.

Perhaps you have noticed that I have been concentrating on Geometry.

At age 12 your son will not yet have learned enough algebra to look forward to more formal maths.

All these books have the added advantage that they widen horizons, connecting Maths to the wider world.