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Not knowing the answer to 7+2
Su Wan Ting’s motto:
Yield twice the result with half the effort, and not half the result with twice the effort.
The successful person looks for methods. The unsuccessful person looks for excuses.
“What’s 1+1?”
“2!” Kindergarteners screamed.
“What’s 2+3?”
This problem may be a little “difficult” for K1 children, but for K2 children, it is easy to get the answer simply by counting fingers.
Of course, you might ask him (her) again, “What’s 3+2?” And he (she) might have to count fingers again.
“Three at dawn and four at dusk” and “Four at dawn and three at dusk” is definitely different to children who are just four or five years old.
Quiet and introverted since birth, Su Wan Ting was no different from her classmates at Tainan Jen Her Kids Kindergarten. To count numbers, she simply counted the fingers on her little hands, though at times, little Wan Ting would have a “short circuit,” characterized by a sudden “knotting” of the fingers and a “blank” mind; a few tomatoes +several guavas turn into a fruit platter.
One day, bored at home, Wan Ting’s grandpa decided to play a game of counting with little Wan Ting. If she counted correctly, grandpa would buy her a treat.
“Come. Count from 1 to 10. Start.”
This was too easy. He was underestimating his granddaughter. “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9, 10.” Without taking a single breath, Little Wan Ting finished counting from 1 to 10.
“Ok. Next. What’s 1+2?”
“3!” Little Wan Ting took a glimpse at her fingers, and answered quickly.
“Not bad. Another one. What’s 7+2?” Grandpa was serious this time.
“It's…” Little Wan Ting’s hands were twisted in a bundle, with the 7 in her right hand running to her left, and not knowing where to start counting the remaining 2. As her hands tightened, her head drooped lower and her face reddened.
“Aww. I’m sorry. Has Grandpa made the question too hard? Let’s try a different one. One that’s easier, ok?” Grandpa said, trying to make Wan Ting feel better.
Close by, Wan Ting’s father Su Jui Pin, reading the paper and Wan Ting’s mother Su Hua Dan, working on her at home job looked at each other and frowned. They did not seem to agree with grandpa! The couple did not say anything in front of the old man and the little girl. As usual, they waited until bedtime to talk about things to prevent putting too much pressure on their child.
That night, Papa Su wondered why Wan Ting couldn’t solve such a simple problem. She’s in K2 already and should be doing better than this. Mama Su blamed herself and was extremely worried. “Maybe I didn’t plan her preschool education well enough. Let’s just wait and see.”
Perhaps out of oversensitivity, or loving care, Wan Ting’s one “abnormal” incident had Papa Su and Mama Su thinking seriously about her education and growing needs. They didn’t want her to fall before she even started running; as parents, they would be the ones to blame if that were the case.
The neighbor boy inspires
Su Wan Ting’s motto:
Laziness is the root of all evil.
Learning is like rowing a boat against the current. If you don't advance yourself, you will be washed away."
One morning, Mama Su went to the market with neighbor Mama Chen. The two mothers chatted about their kids along the way. When Mama Su mentioned how little Wan Ting was falling behind in counting compared to her classmates, Mama Chen said, "Then send her to study mental arithmetic. My K3 son has been going for ten months, and he just passed level four. No one in our family is faster than him. He's like a computer. If you don't believe me, come and see for yourself after school."
In the afternoon, Mama Su half doubtingly rang the Chen's doorbell. Even before Mama Su sat down properly, Mama Chen was calling out anxiously to her son to come and present himself.
"Wei Wei, come and show Mama Su some mental arithmetic. You can do it!" Mama Chen picked up a pile of test papers on the desk, taking one from the pile. "Okay. This one is all two-digit. Wei Wei, let's try this. Ready, calculate. 26+31+44+19+33+58+72+39. Okay. What's the answer?"
"Three hundred and twenty-two!" Mama Chen had just finished reading the problem when Wei Wei announced the answer. Mama Su took the test paper from Mama Chen's hands and looked at the answer. 322 indeed! A K3 child with such strong calculating ability is truly amazing. Mama Su was still a little doubtful. "Okay, Wei Wei. Mama Su will test you again." She took a piece of paper and wrote down eight sets of two-digit numbers, used a calculator twice to confirm the answer, and started reading the problem.
"55+22+44+39+57+62+77+28, is how much?"
"Three hundred and eighty-four." Wei Wei immediately announced the answer hiding in Mama Su's hand. "Too amazing!" Right then, the "special power" of "mental calculation" completely opened Mama Su's eyes. Thus, she made up her mind to have Wan Ting and her sister learn mental arithmetic.
When Wan Ting was in K3, Mama Su asked around about mental arithmetic classes, and visited almost all the mental arithmetic classes in Tainan City, even sitting in on classes. After two weeks and a bunch of brochures and application forms, Mama Su finally picked CMA, one that wasn't exactly close to home or school.
The founder of CMA Mental Arithmetic was Master Tai Chiang Ching. After listening in on a class and a long talk, Master Tai became the "chosen one," the most suitable mental arithmetic teacher for Wan Ting. However, for the sake of learning effectiveness and to ensure the safety of the little children, Master Tai had requested Mama Su and parents of other K3 students to accompany their kids to class.
At that point, Wan Ting and her mother embarked on the difficult but interesting "abacus and mental arithmetic journey." It was September 1991. Wan Ting Was in K3, and her sister Hsiang Wen wasn't even in K1 yet!
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