Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Breanna Braun, 11, is motoring through a virtual math class. "I e-mail the teacher occasionally when I don't understand something," she said. (Photo: Tammy L. Lane)

One 11-year-old student at Dixie Elementary Magnet School is in a class all her own.

Breanna Braun is steadily puzzling out algebraic expressions and figuring square roots in a seventh-grade virtual math class, and she’s only in fifth grade.

“I can just go ahead. I don’t have to wait for everyone else,” she said, explaining how she works independently at her own pace.

Breanna, who has a special love for math, started doing multiplication at age 3 and kept busy with math games and worksheets on family trips. “My dad would always quiz me,” she recalled.

These days, her curiosity and drive have propelled her to the top of the virtual class, which includes about 40 kids in grades four and five across the state.

“She got out of the gates really quickly,” said Allene Frederick, Breanna’s instructor with Kentucky Virtual Schools.

Breanna’s parents thought she would fare better with the online class rather than skipping grades. “I did not want her to go over to a middle school,” said Robin Braun, who described her daughter as a little shy.

So for 90 minutes four days a week, Breanna sits at a computer station in the center of the classroom and takes off. She recently scored a 95 percent on her pre-algebra midterm.

“It’s a great opportunity for the students because we can be flexible,” said Frederick, who noted that Breanna is on pace to complete the class early.

“Her progress is just phenomenal,” said Dixie principal Loraye Jones. “She’s just loved it.”

But Breanna is no one-hit wonder. A well-rounded kid, she takes horseback riding lessons, competes in a family bowling league and loves water sports, including wake boarding, slaloming and skiing on the Ohio River. She also likes to read, especially the “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” series.

Breanna shares her gift, too, tutoring advanced math students on Fridays and checking homework for her younger twin brothers. “I’m just trying to help them understand,” she said modestly.

Interested?

Read about opportunities in Kentucky Virtual Schools, and get more details through the Kentucky Department of Education.