To Math Or Not To Math–That Is The Question! By: Anthony Pellegrino

The poet Carl Sandburg wrote: “Arithmetic is where numbers fly like pigeons in and out of your head.” Apparently this is the situation for most of us, but what about our children? How long has it been since you sat in a math class?

Math instruction today focuses little attention on students performing math skills Instead students spend most of the time discussing problems in small groups and working together in cooperative teams. The teacher no longer teaches, but instead facilitates. Students are expected to figure out math concepts and operations using blocks and other objects on their own.

Our children are being feed “fuzzymath,” a term coined in Palo Alto, California, referring to math texts that deemphasize getting the correct answers in math. When I attended school I was taught that there can only be one correct answer. But students today are allowed to guess and estimate about answers.

Calculators are a common sight in today’s classrooms. Students rarely master math operations, and one frequently sees finger counting even for operations as simple as addition. Here are several reasons why our children are not learning math.

Check out your child’s math textbook or program and look for: 1) dumbed down material that expects students to do less; 2) a reduced role for the teacher as an information provider. Is she a facilitator or a teacher? 3) lots of writing about math at the expense of doing math; 4) less need for accuracy and mastery in the parts of math that actually do get done; 5) almost no practice and drills so basic skills don’t become automatic; 6) dependence on the use of calculators.

Even if you are not a mathematical genius, you can look for these ten suggestions which Mathematically Correct, an organization concerned about instruction of math, recommends be a part of math instruction in every classroom. Discuss with your child’s teacher if he or she follows these guides:

1. Honors the correct answer more than the guess.

2. Does not avoid the value of repeated practice.

3. Gives good grades only for good work.

4. Spare the calculator and spare the child.

5. Teaches proofs in high school.

6. Check the math competence of the math teacher.

7. Avoids vague objectives.

8. Uses objective tests to judge student achievement.

9. Teaches to mastery.

10. Values knowing and honors the knowledgeable.

Note: There are three cardinal rules to mastering mathematics: 1) practice/repetition; 2) practice/repetition; 3) practice/repetition!

The trend today in almost everything we do in life is to take the “easy” way to learning. Everyone is taught that “drill” “Kills” the joy in an activity. Imagine a golfer, an athlete, or any performer not practicing. To become proficient in any activity, including mathematics, repetitionrepetitionand more repetition is vital!

Check these facts and make sure your child understands them also: a) students who take rigorous mathematics and science courses are much more likely to go to college than those that don’t; b) In the job market, workers who have a strong mathematics and science backgrounds in high school are more likely to be employed and generally earn even more if they have not gone on to college, than workers with fewer math and science courses.

Please find out what’s in your child’s textbooks. Check out your child’s math knowledge with some math questions. Help your child meet the goal of mastering math. Find out the math background training of the teacher. Don’t take excuses for failure from any teacher. Don’t allow poor mathematics performance from your child. Become informed, and most of all be involved in your child’s education. Your child’s future is at stake.