'Play video games': Human calculator Tatiana Devendranath shares shocking learning tips for children
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: What it takes to raise a genius child has been revealed by a former World Mathematics Day champion, and the advice contradicts what many parents are typically encouraged to do. Tatiana Devendranath, who does not come from a family of mathematicians, repeatedly claimed the title before being branded "the human calculator" in the end.
The 29-year-old said that providing children more screen time can aid in their development of math and science abilities. She told 'Femail' that she used to play video games for up to eight hours on weekends, both with her family and on her own, as reported by DailyMail.
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'I was allowed to play video games whenever I wanted'
She said, "I was allowed to play video games whenever I wanted, from when I was three-years-old." Educational games were included, as were quest-style games that required reading dialogue and figuring things out. Devendranath added, "I learned to read by playing these games." When she discovered Mathletics, it opened up a world of numbers for her to explore at her own pace. "Soon that was all I was playing," she said.
Devendranath admitted that the score board feature appealed to her competitive side, and she also enjoyed playing the spelling bee version of the game. She was the game's reigning champion before she knew it. "Being described as a human calculator was pretty embarrassing, but mum was proud," she explained. Devendranath smiled as she remembered her record of answering 105 questions in 60 seconds, as reported by Abdpost.
'Practice accuracy'
Then the 'human calculator' explained and gave tips to the younger children who want to be the same 'human calculator' as she is. She said, "Kids who want to do well need to practice with the app - practice accuracy because at first that's more important than speed." The current format allows children all over the world to watch their peers move up and down the scoreboard over the course of 48 hours. She then said, "I used to wait until the very end, play it strategically, so I knew how many points I needed to win."
The Melbourne-based 'nerd' works in data and analytics, as per her Linkedln profile, telling stories with numbers - which feeds her love of humanities. She says she is a huge supporter of 'age-appropriate screen time'. "Minecraft can even be educational," she says. She was the five-time Australian champion before winning World Math Day in 2008, as per reports.