Tran Dinh Hieu, the son of a working couple in the southern province of Dong
Nai can read every word and numbers up to millions, even abbreviations and
Roman numbers though he has never been to school.

Hieu has never been to school but he can read any kind of book. In the photo: He is reading “Give me a ticket to childhood” by Nguyen Nhat Anh in the witness of teachers of a local kindergarten.

Though his voice is still sounds similar to a babble, Hieu
can quickly read a paper or a newspaper without spelling errors. He can even
read abbreviations like TP HCM (HCM
City), UBND (People’s
Committee), HDND (People’s Council).

Hieu was born on July 14 2007. His parents are Mr. Tran Dinh
Hoang, 31 and Mrs. Pham Thi Yen (29) from the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, who are now living in Trang
Dai ward, Dong Nai province.

Hoang, a worker at Epic Dersners Company, said he and his
wife are very busy at the factory. They sometimes taught the boy some letters
in the alphabet. They have never taught him to spell code charts.

Earlier, Hieu was sent to a private kindergarten but he had
to stay at home after two months due to sickness.

“When Hieu was two years old, we saw him babbling after
lines running on television. We were very surprised but we thought that he just
listened to adults and learnt them by heart,” Hoang recalled.

When Hieu was three, Le Thi Duyen, a college teacher who
boards near Hoang’s family, discovered the boy’s talent.

Duyen said once she was cleaning up his room, the boy came
to her room and picked up her General Psychology Syllabus and read the words on
the cover. She was very surprised and opened different pages. The boy could
still read very quickly.

“I have never seen a three-year-old child who has never been
to school but can read smoothly like this boy. Many curious people gave him
books, newspapers and complicated words but he could read very accurately,”
Duyen added.

Thai Van Hung, a lecturer from the College
of Technology of Dong Nai province,
said: “Normal kids must go to school and study
hard to spell at the age of six but Hieu can read fluently when he is only
three. This is a special talent. I’m encouraging his parents to send him to
special classes to develop the boy’s talent”.

“We are very confused. We don’t know what to do with him. We
have applied to a local (State-owned) kindergarten,” said Hieu’s father.

The boy went to Khiet Tam Kindergarten on March 3. “We are
designing a special program to teach him because this case is very rare,” said
the kindergarten’s principle Tran Thi Phi Long.

Earlier, Phan Chi Bao, 3, in Vinh City and Phan Dinh Quoc
Bao, 4, in Quy Hop district, the central province of Nghe An were known for
being able to read and calculate sums when they were very small.

Nguyen Thi My Linh, director of the HCM City-based Center
for Research and Application of Psychology and Public Communications, said that
once parents discover special talents at their children, they should bring the
children to the Center for Research of Special Abilities of Human Beings, where
experts would evaluate and have appropriate education methods. In fact, some
kids lose their special talents because they are not educated properly.

“Parents should not think that their children are child
prodigies and exaggerate their talents. It may make the children develop
improperly,” Linh adviced.

Psychological experts of the HCM City Teacher Training
University has compiled a
program to test the intelligence and to educate children of special talents. HCM City
also has the Milmax Club for Child Prodigies, which was established in 2007.
Coming to this club, kids are tested with music, linguistics, mathematics,
logical thinking, emotion and imagination. If they pass the tests, they will
receive a certificate of a prodigal child and a scholarship of VND10 million
($500). The club also assists children in remote areas to develop their
talents.

PV