VietNamNet Bridge – “It was true that he was a good child, which allowed him to win high prizes at national competitions. However, his learning records have been just normal in the last few years, with no outstanding achievements,” said Deputy Headmaster of the Dai Kim Secondary School Pham Thi Thanh Ha about Hoang Than, who was called a “child prodigy.”

The talent

Than was called “child prodigy” several years ago, when his literacy proficiency and good memories were discovered, and a lot of awards in the competitions Than gained with his with innovative models were reported by local newspapers.

Than was born in Dinh Hoa district of Thai Nguyen province, a mountainous locality. Cung Van Hoa, a war veteran, came to Dinh Hoa district to visit his comrade and discovered the capability to read proficiently of the 3-year old boy – the grandson of the comrade.

Hoa decided to bring Hoang Than to Hanoi to feed and send him to school. At the age of four, he was sent to a nursery school. However, he was then given back to Hoa because Than was more capable than other children of the same age.

Hoa bought textbooks designed for first and second graders for Than and surprisingly discovered the capability to read and remember clearly of Than. Just after a short time, he could do four basic operations and could calculate the surface of rectangle and square. At the age of five, Than was sent to the second grade, and then the third grade.

In the same year, the model “smart mathematics learning” which allows to more quickly conduct the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division than the traditional way, initiated by Hoang Than won the special prize at the competition for teenagers and children.

The achievement convinced the then Deputy Minister of Education and Training Dang Huynh Mai to allow Than to go to primary school before his age. In the same year, Than had the honor of visiting and taking pictures with General Vo Nguyen Giap.

Many other successes came to the child prodigy Hoang Than in the next years, when Thanh continuously introduced the Guide and Model that helps learning history in 2008, the method of learning mathematics with moving images in 2009, and the model of the and its planets in 2010.

With his achievements, Hoang Than became the youngest delegate at the Congress of the eighth national patriotic emulation.

In 2011, he attended the Vietnam Talent Contest competition with the disk recording the lectures of teachers which can help students and teachers more in learning and teaching.

…suddenly gives up school?

Cung Van Hoa was so surprised when hearing that Than did not go to school one day, because Than, as everyday, still went to school in the morning.

“He is keen on games. Therefore, he played truant to go to games shops. He has no money to play. I am sure that he stood there to watch others playing,” Hoa said.

He went on to say that he feels worried as the boy was too small and boyish. “There seem to exist--two different personalities in him. When learning or talking about his idea, he is very serious. However, he sometimes boyish and he likes sweets more than prizes,” Hoa said.

Ha of the Dai Kim School said that it was true that Than was good at nursery and then primary school. However, at the secondary school, as the curriculum are heavier with much more knowledge, Than does not show any special capability.

“He once registered to attend the chemistry majoring selected team, but then he gave up,” Ha said.

“I fee worried when his family decided to allow Than to skip grades to higher grades too soon. Than is smart but he does not learn hard, and he is so childish,” Ha said.

Van Chung