This question about my 16-year-old son's highly-developed math prowess has been asked of me and my wife countless times by parents who wonder just how we raised such a successful mathlete. He was a two-time state champion and national competitor for MATHCOUNTS, he aced AP Calculus BC in eighth grade, he's qualified numerous times for the AMO/JMO (American/Junior Math Olympiad), and the list goes on. We are incredibly proud of him and happy for him, and the answer for all the parents hoping to raise a similar math whiz is "We didn't do anything - it's all him."
Of course, he and we have benefited from some important mentors and exceptional resources, the most notable of which is a self-driven math curriculum and website called The Art of Problem Solving. The AoPS program is a beautifully crafted training ground for young math prodigies who seek to refine their skills through math competitions, and my son first engaged with it when he was in fourth-grade and participating in math enrichment class taught by a math teacher and math team coach at his school. It's been a constant source of connection to other mathletes nationwide, and I recommend it to anyone with a kid interested in math.
Recently, a friend sent a nice article and interview that education writer and blogger Rick Hess did with the founder of AoPS, Richard Rusczyk. If you don't know of the Art of Problem Solving, use this link as your introduction.
Richard Rusczyk is the founder of the Art of Problem Solving (AoPS), a math curriculum and online learning community that supports students who excel in math. In the early 1990s, Richard started AoPS as a book series; it has grown into a 300,000-member online community with classes, video lessons, and an adaptive learning system. AoPS is also the go-to trainer for America’s Math Olympiad participants. I recently had a chance to chat with Richard about AoPS, how it works, and the effort to extend its reach to new kids.
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