Sharkey, O. C. (1987). Tony Lai, age 14, B.Sc., prodigy. Roeper Review, 10(2), 94-96.
Objective: To analyse the development of a prodigy.
Design: Case study.
Setting: Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
Participants: Tony Lai, a 14-year-old prodigy.
Assessment of Variables: Information was presented concerning educational achievements, social and emotional development, and variables influencing educational decisions.
Main Results: Tony was born in 1972 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. He parents are Chinese immigrants. Tony’s father is a professor of physics. He has one brother, Jim, who is five years older. Jim is in his fourth year of university. He has achieved excellent academic results and his grade point average is near the top for his cohort. He entered university one year early.
From the time Tony was an infant, he exhibited signs suggestive of intellectual giftedness. He traced letters in his mother’s writing, in books, and in printed materials from the age of 18 months. He could write letters and numbers well by the age of 2 years. From the age of 3 years Tony became interested in drawing 2-dimensional views of traffic lights, laundry symbols and Volvos. He would usually spend between one and three months on the same topic before moving on.
He began to count at the age of 3 years and 6 months, and at about this time was able to count 18 pieces of chocolate. By four years of age Tony could add and subtract. At 4 years and 6 months he began to copy calendars. Eventually he could calculate people’s birth dates in a few seconds. At 5 years of age Tony’s father showed him how to multiply. Before Tony went to school, he could add and subtract fractions with ease. He could also read and write.
Tony commenced school in grade 1 in 1978. The teacher did not acknowledge his abilities. Tony was absent for about a third of grade 1 due to minor illnesses. In grade 2 Tony began to work on a computer at home. He taught himself how to use the computer by making his way through the instructional manual. Since this time he has spent several hours every day working on a computer.
His grade 2 teacher acknowledged Tony’s abilities and started him on an individual program for mathematics. Tony completed math to half way through 5th grade while in grade 2, reaching grade 8 level in some areas. In grade 3 Tony wrote many poems. He also completed grade 9 math.
Tony skipped grade 4 and entered grade 5 in 1981. During this year he completed math to grade 12 level. In August 1982, at the age of 10 years, Tony was tested at the local university. He was found to be achieving at the 95th percentile in a School and College Ability Math Test designed for college entrance students, and at the grade 9.5 level on the Wide Range Vocabulary Test. Several Piagetian tests showed that he was functioning at the formal operational stage. He seemed to be a well-adjusted and pleasant child. The school principal and teachers reported that Tony got along well with both students and teachers.
In 1982 Tony entered grade 6 and commenced calculus with some help from his father. In May 1983 he enrolled in a calculus course at the University of Prince Edward Island, topping his class with a score of 92%. He then enrolled in a second calculus course and again topped his class with a mark of 97%.
On the advice of his elementary school, Tony skipped junior high and applied to enrol in a senior high school. The senior high school was hesitant about allowing Tony to enter and was slow to make a decision. Tony finally decided that the best option for him would be to skip senior high school and to apply directly to University. After further testing and assessment, Tony was admitted to the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI).
Tony performed very well on a series of tests he completed just before and during his university study. He was placed among the top 10 out of 150 in the Prince Edwards Island Mathematics Competition for first year university students. In the Wide Range Vocabulary Test, he progressed from an age score of 14.5 years to a score of 20.5 years during his 3 years at Prince Edward Island University. His IQ was measured at 150 on the WISC-R test and the Otis IQ test.
Tony was required to see a counsellor during his first semester at university to ensure that he was coping with university life. The counsellor noted Tony’s excellent sense of humor, good
concentration and his sophisticated political and philosophical views. On testing Tony was found to be more serious, shy and trusting than average high school or college students.
Flexible pacing allowed Tony to finish four years of university in three. He received the prize for coming first in science in his initial year and was awarded a full scholarship for the following year.
He finished first in second year, which enabled him to continue to receive the scholarship he had won in first year, and to gain another scholarship. He also won the I. P. Sharp Scholarship for Computer Science. Tony completed his third year at university by winning prizes for first place in fourth year and first place in the Science Faculty. He won a prize for Computer Science and was awarded the Governor General’s Gold Medal. He received a Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada Scholarship for postgraduate work, and was accepted by the University of Toronto into the M.Sc. program for Computer Science.
Tony delayed his postgraduate studies for a year because it was difficult to make residential arrangements for such a young student. He spent one more semester at the University of Prince Edward Island and then worked through two textbooks for courses that he would be taking in graduate school. At the age of 14 years and 9 months Tony entered graduate school. By July he had taken five courses and had achieved marks in the nineties for all of them. He was coping well with graduate work and was enjoying new social relations.
Many variables seem to have played a part in influencing the direction of Tony’s life. His story makes clear the importance of the role of the individual in his own development. Tony has remained motivated and self-directed. He worked on his own at a very young age to figure out the structure of calendars. He taught himself how to use a computer. Persistence played a big role in his
development. His story also stresses the important role others can play. His parents played an especially important role. They were supportive of what Tony wanted to do. They were sensitive to his needs and supplied moral support.
Radical acceleration played an important part in Tony’s education. It allowed him to enjoy
appropriately challenging learning experiences. Tony does not appear to have suffered any adverse social or emotional effects from acceleration. He shows little signs of stress or anxiety. He is
sensitive to the needs of others. He tends to be quiet but evidence points to good personality development and social adjustment.
Conclusion: Tony Lai is an individual who has made exceptional academic progress at school and university. Educational options allowing for radical acceleration made this possible. Such radical acceleration did not affect Tony’s development adversely. He is a well-adjusted young man who is motivated to achieve, and enjoys satisfying relationships with peers.
Commentary: This case study presents rich information regarding the radical acceleration of an individual student. It is testimony to the considerable benefits that can accrue to individuals who are allowed to move through school and university at a pace that is most conducive to their learning.
Academic rewards can be plentiful, and there are many benefits for social and emotional development.
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