If you took a university math exam, how do you think you’d do? Paula and Peter Imafidon are nine-year-old twins. They live in England, and last year they became the youngest people to ever pass Cambridge University’s advanced mathematics exam.
A reporter asked them how hard they had to work in order to pass the exam. Paula said she treats math like a game, so it’s not really “work” to her.
Peter said the exam had some questions that “may seem difficult but are very easy once you get in the swing of it.” Of course, Peter is speaking as someone to whom math comes easily—the questions are tough, even for university-aged students.
The family’s other children, Anne-Marie, Christiana and Samantha are also exceptionally good at math.
Their older sister, Samantha, was nine when she passed the Cambridge exam. She is now 13 years old and helps the twins with their math.
Ann and Chris, the twins’ parents, moved to Britain from Nigeria more than 30 years ago.
Chris says that every child can be a genius, and that once you figure out what a child’s talent is and then give them the opportunity to explore that talent, they can go far.
Paula says she wants to be a math teacher when she grows up. Peter would like to be Prime Minister of England.
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
Writing/Discussion Prompt
“Chris says that every child can be a genius, and that once you figure out what a child’s talent is and then give them the opportunity to explore that talent, they can go far.” What kind of opportunities do you think Chris is referring to?
Reading Prompt
What strategies do you use to make sure you are able to understand texts? What do you do before, during, and after reading to help you comprehend texts? Primary
Identify, initially with some support and direction, what strategies they found most helpful before, during, and after reading and how they can use these and other strategies to improve as readers(OME, Reading: 4.1).
Junior & Intermediate
Identify the strategies they found most helpful before, during, and after reading and explain, in conversation with the teacher and/or peers or in a reader’s notebook, how they can use these and other strategies to improve as readers (OME, Reading: 4.1).
Grammar Feature: Natural Order
A sentence is said to be in a natural order if the subject of the sentence comes before the verb. For example, the two sentences below are in a natural order because the subject “Paula” is placed before the verb, “says” and the subject “Peter” is placed before the verb “be.”
Paula says she wants to be a math teacher when she grows up. Peter would like to be Prime Minister of England.
Place the letters “N.O” beside the sentences that are written in a natural order.
If Kativa comes home early, she’ll ruin the surprise. _______________
Walking home with Earl is so much fun. _______________
My teacher doesn’t know where he put his lunch. ________________
Everyone knows Jazmin. ____________________
The people in the bus shelter looked cold and unhappy. _____________
