Maths genius Tihan goes to US world championships
He is able to add, subtract, divide and multiply numbers in a matter of seconds
TWELVE-year-old mathematical genius Tihan van Rooyen will be heading to the United States to compete at the 15th PAMA Global Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Competition in San Francisco.
The Laerskool Selection Park learner is a maths student of Kempton Park’s A+ Students by CMATHS programme, which stands for Calculating Mental Arithmetic Tuition with the Help of a Japanese Soroban.
The programme is based around fast-paced mental arithmetic and helps children to develop both their left and right brain capabilities.
Also read:
• Grade 3 learner wins gold at mental maths
• Maths whiz off to contest in India
Under the guidance of his maths sensei Wanda Booyens, he learns how to calculate sums, easy and complex, mentally as well as using his soroban.
As a result, Tihan (who is from Springs) is able to add, subtract, divide and multiply numbers in a matter of seconds.
Tihan qualified to be on the South African team of 15 in May when he competed against 200 other children from all over the country, based on how fast he could correctly solve numerous sets of sums.
“The reason why this particular competition is so challenging is because of the limited amount of time the students have. Everybody can do the work with lots and lots of practice, but it’s about the short amount of time you’re given to complete the tests,” Booyens explains.
In preparation for his big event Tihan did a lot of exam papers which, on average, students are given 1-3 minutes to complete.
“They are given 3 minutes for 30 sums which have to be done on the soroban and one minute for 30 mental maths sums,” Booyens said.
CMATHS’s approach in the classroom is learning through play and aims to help create a love for maths within young children. Tihan’s class has four students and each lesson is about 45 minutes to an hour long.
The young genius, who is from Springs, said he was feeling excited about the competition and looked forward to competing in the States.
Tihan also attended the International Soroban Camp course in Japan earlier this year.
The PAMA Global competition, a non-profit organisation established in 1999, will be held on December 29. Tihan is one of 29 students who have qualified for the world-wide event.
Its purpose is to promote abacus and mental arithmetic education. Children learning abacus and mental arithmetic can increase concentration and learning effectiveness.
