langreiter.com plain, simple: 2006-09-23-accelered

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2006-09-23-accelered

CREATED BY chris • LAST EDITED BY chris 6362 days AGO

'I can see two different models of how [Terry's] education could progress. The first is what I might call a "columnar" model, where his acceleration would be directed vertically upwards in maths and physics with little expansion into other areas of knowledge. The problem here is that, although progress may be fast and easy at the beginning, as the column gets taller it becomes more difficult to build on further knowledge, and, to continue the metaphor, the taller the structure grows, the shakier it may become. The other model, which we have selected, is pyramidical in shape, where Terry's work in mathematics and the sciences is integrated with many other areas of knowledge. Initial progress may be slowed down while he explores the relationships between all these areas of study, but as the pyramid gains height it becomes easier and faster and the whole structure rests on a sound base of interrelated knowledge.'

Billy Tao, Terry Tao's father, when his son was 10; as quoted in Radical acceleration in Australia: Terence Tao, a rather extensive and very interesting account of Terry's education and the reasoning behind some of the ways chosen.

"In common with a number of other intellectually gifted children [...], he taught himself to read by watching Sesame Street; the difference, however, is that Terry acquired this skill before the age of 2."

"I discovered I could learn better and remember more if I taught my brothers what I had learned. So I taught one brother chess and the other music. My music has never been very good--in fact I hated it until I gave myself the motivation to teach Trevor. Now I actually quite enjoy playing duets with him. I spent a lot of my spare time working out interesting ways to teach them, and I probably learned more from teaching them than they did from me (T. Tao, 1985)!"