Hear what a parent has to say about their experience from winning a gold medal in SASMO.
We sat down with a parent of our current Long Term Course student, Shu Wen, as she shares with us her experience parenting her vivacious eight-year-old son, Jialuo, who got gold in SASMO this year.
Their Second SASMO Experience
While this is not the first year that Jialuo competed at SASMO, this is his first time clinching a Gold Medal. Barely containing his excitement, Jialuo shared that he was elated when he saw his results as he didn’t win any awards previously.
“He didn’t get win anything last year when we prepared for it on our own. We were really surprised when we saw that he got Gold for SASMO as we only came for Think Academy’s three-day intensive SASMO Gold Medal course,” explained Shu Wen.
“We were really surprised when we saw that he got Gold for SASMO”
One thing that really struck Shu Wen upon receiving Jialuo’s results was what he said.
“He actually said to me, ’If I had not met Teacher Michelle, I might not have been able to win anything [for SASMO] at all.’ ”
“He actually said to me, ’If I had not met Teacher Michelle, I might not have been able to win anything [for SASMO] at all.’”
Their Secret to Math Olympiad and SASMO
When asked about what their secret to conquering Math Olympiads is, the answer was simple.
“We got lucky.”
Shuwen explained that it was by a stroke of good fortune that she was able to meet with a teacher who appreciates Jialuo for who he is and one whom he enjoys engaging and learning from.
For her, it was the right person, at the right time.
“As a parent, we would sit through the preparation with our children. We would teach them the methods that we know how but professional coaches have more time-efficient methods to tackle Math Olympiad questions that we are unaware of.”
She highlighted the importance of finding a coach who encourages her child and motivates him to do better.
“He hates doing math questions,” she laughs.
But his interest in math has grown tremendously after meeting Teacher Michelle.
“Now he would attempt questions and assignments on his own and even asks when his next lesson will be!”
Watch their full interview and story here:
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Looking for a nurturing and encouraging Math Olympiad coach like Teacher Michelle? Think Academy’s team is made up of highly qualified teachers who are experienced Math Olympians, Math Olympiad question setters, IMO coaches, GEP students and top PSLE scorers.
Through our structured curriculum and tracks, students will master concepts and apply techniques like a pro. If you are a time-strapped parent who would rather spend quality time with your kids than helping them in their homework, our courses will guide your child to gain confidence and independence in Math Olympiad and Math.
You can also find out more on our achievements this year here.
