Indian American 11-Year-Old Named SuperMath Grand Champion

Aditya Sriram with his trophy.

Aditya Sriram with his trophy.

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., United States: For the first time in SuperMath history, an Indian American student won the coveted Grand Champion award during its 31st annual competition held here Feb. 23.

Not only is 11-year-old Aditya Sriram the first Indian American student to win, but it was also the first time in ten years that the champion was not a high school aged participant.

SuperMath is an abacus based mental calculation program. Nearly 200 students participated in the contests, split by level. The beginner and intermediate level students used the abacus for addition and subtraction problems. Advance level students use abacus based mental calculation to compute addition and subtraction and multiplication problems.

When he learned he had won, Sriram declared, “I thought it was a dream. I was shocked. I felt like the impossible happened.”

Sankaran Sriram, Aditya’s father, and his wife Archana Ramalingam noticed that Aditya was able to count and add numbers at a very early age. One of his cousins in India was learning abacus, and they thought it was a great tool to hone in on his math skills.

Aditya and SuperMath quickly became a perfect fit. Along with smaller classes and its own curriculum and textbooks, every student can progress at a different speed. Aditya diligently practiced 30 minutes a day. He was able to advance quickly from one level to the next. He currently holds a fifth degree black belt in mental calculation.

When asked how SuperMath has most benefited his son, Sankaran said, “It is not just about the mental calculation problems, but his increased ability to focus and concentrate. Aditya also has learned how to set goals, and take on new challenges as he goes to different levels, which leads to confidence. These are the intangible benefits that help him when learning anything new.”

Sriram was taking classes in Santa Clara when the family relocated to Bellevue, Wash. This led to SuperMath’s first Skype lessons. His parents, along with his younger brother, all flew to San Francisco for the contest.

Right after the contest, while his parents were trying to figure out how to get the big trophy back to Bellevue, Aditya turned to his teacher and said, “Today is the best day of my life!”

By Indiawest
Read more at http://www.indiawest.com