When Vikram Singh signed up to take the Kumon 2004 Math Challenge this summer, he did not expect to score more than 40 points above average. A fourth grader at Darlington Lower School, Singh scored 95 percent, while the national average was only 48.9.
“I was very surprised because the questions were very hard and I was very nervous,” said Singh, of Cartersville, Ga.
His parents, Brij and Veena, were pleased with his score. “We are very happy with his results … Kumon centers all over the country had children competing, and there were thousands and thousands of participants,” said Veena. “We thank Darlington for giving him a strong foundation in math. It is a wonderful school.”
But according to Singh’s third grade teacher, Terri Watters, his strong foundation in math seems innate.
“Vikram is one of those rare children who actually has the gift of having an incredible understanding of numbers. He computes more mentally than with pencil and paper, and he is quick,” said Watters. “He loves math, and he has enjoyed working with his dad in math activities. He would light up when it was time for math. It was hard for me to keep up with his Beka book and corrections.
“There were times when the other children didn’t really know how to take his success,” she continued. “When I explained to them that math was Vikram’s strength, interest and hobby, they understood and were very supportive and proud of his progress. I have had other students enjoy math, but never a student who was as ‘gifted’ as Vikram. I was not surprised that he performed as well as he did in the Math competition. He was truly a joy to teach.”
Singh traveled to San Francisco in July to compete against 1,405 other rising fourth graders in the Grade 3 category. The test was split into three sections: computation, word problems and math reasoning. The highest score of all students who wrote the test was 99 percent, only four points higher than Singh.
“The first part of the test was the hardest. It had three-digit and decimal multiplication, and we did not have much scratch paper to work on,” said Singh, who enjoys problem solving.
The international math competition is open to all children in grades one though 10 and takes place at universities across Canada and the United States. The top 10 students in each grade win scholarships ranging from $100 to $1,200. Singh said he will probably enter the Math Challenge again in the summer of 2005.
Kumon is an after-school math and reading program. Founded in Japan in 1958, the North American division is headquartered in Teaneck, N.J. Worldwide, there are 3.5 million students studying at more than 25,000 Kumon Centres in 43 countries. For more information about Kumon, visit
www.kumon.com or call 1-800-ABC-MATH.
