As Math Scores Lag, a New Push for the Basics

The New York Times ^ | 11/14/06 | Tamar Lewin

[siddude]

SEATTLE — For the second time in a generation, education officials are rethinking the teaching of math in American schools. The changes are being driven by students’ lagging performance on international tests and mathematicians’ warnings that more than a decade of so-called reform math — critics call it fuzzy math — has crippled students with its de-emphasizing of basic drills and memorization in favor of allowing children to find their own ways to solve problems.

[siddude]

It's about time!

[MarkeyD]

Now that the Dems are in to save the day.

[fatez]

Does this mean the NY Times endorses this? Does this mean no more 'Condoms on bananas' classes?

I think not... Got to keep indoctrinating new Democrats.

[TexasCajun]

"But what about their little feelings? "

[LonePalm]

There are three types of people in the world.

Those that understand math and those who don't.

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[bygolly]

Funny how that pendulum always swings back to "Basics" when all those politically correct programs don't work.

[Unam Sanctam]

Basics? You mean like indoctrinating children in the gay activist agenda?

[Sooth2222]

Our students lag in science, too.

And probably even in English.

http://timss.bc.edu/timss2003.html

If you can't read this, thank a Democrat!

[Niteranger68]

2 + 2 = Manmade Global Warming

[upchuck]

I suggest they research how math was taught in 1959 and make that the "New, Politically Correct" way to teach math.

And take away the friggin calculators! Kids are NOT learning math when they're punching on a calculator.

[bondjamesbond]

How about we drop the condom-and-banana and teach both conceptual and fundamental Math!

[Gingersnap]

It's an unfortunate fact that math is neither intuitive nor entertaining for 85% of human beings. That's why it's crucial to memorize common information and to develop a code-cracking skill set through repetition.

It's not important for us to jolly 85% of kids along. It's important that the 15% who will change technology and expand science have essential foundation to pursue their interests in college. We don't need any more math failures with English degrees.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

has crippled students with its de-emphasizing of basic drills and memorization in favor of allowing children to find their own ways to solve problems.

Why would anyone abandon tried, true methods of education? My father made me spend the summer before the 3rd grade memorizing the multiplication tables and doing arithmetic exercises for an hour every day with him. I hated it - up until school started and I realized that the multiplication and division exercises the teacher assigned us were a breeze by comparison. Rote learning and memorization are invaluable in arithmetic - they let students focus on and understand the principles behind the operations, instead of struggling to perform the operations.

[TeenagedConservative]

Here's a solution. Disband government indoctrination camps entirely, give schooling back to the individual, and give the tax dollars back to the taxpayers.

[Paleo Conservative]

More one size that fits nobody, solutions.

[luckystarmom]

I was good at math, but my kids are great!!!!!!!

When my son was 7, she took him to a garage sell. He was calculating the change for things that people were buying faster than the people could type it in their cashier.

He's now 12, and in Algebra 1. He did poorly on 1 test, so we gave him some extra work and showed him what he did wrong. On his last test he got 100% plus the extra credit.

He is truly amazing.

My daughters are also very good. They are only in the 4th grade, so we'll see how they do in the future.

That said, I do have problems with the math being taught. In Algebra 1, there is not enough homework, and the class is going tooo fast in order to complete the book for testing in April (school doesn't end until the middle of June).

Also, I think that new concepts should be taught, but at the same time the old concepts need to be reinforced. Homework should be a mix of new concepts and a reinforcement of old concepts. Because there is no reinforcement of old concepts, my son is forgetting the older concepts by the time there is a test. My hubby and I understand that my son needs reinforcements, so we are giving him extra work.

In elementary school, math is taught by teachers that were not necessarily very good at math to begin with. The teachers are bored by math, and don't know how to make it interesting.

[luckystarmom]

My kids have been in public and private schools, and they do not use calculators in either. My son is in Algebra 1 this year, and his teacher said that they will start using graphing calculators after the first of the year. This is the first time he has ever used a calculator. In fact, he doesn't like using calculators. He says it's just faster to do it in his head.

[megatherium]

Exactly correct. Making children learn arithmetic properly (making sure they can do it quickly and accurately) internalizes the rules of algebra before they begin to learn algebra. And then making students become proficient at algebra enables them to learn calculus properly.

[achilles2000]

The curriculum won't get reformed. Will some cosmetic changes be made? Certainly, but no real, thoroughgoing change. Why? To begin, the majority of current teachers in the government schools are incapable of doing real math (ask a competent math teacher), and they can't be replaced because (a) unions won't allow it and (b) there is no one to replace them. Moreover, as you can see from the article, the Ed establishment hates real math - it has right and wrong answers and will display for all to see how profoundly the government schools are failing the children in their control. Worse, going to a Singapore-type curriculum would also suggest that as far as black students are concerned, they might be better off in schools run by the Klan than the current government schools. That's how bad it is.

Before anyone responds in the usual way about their government schools, let's just stipulate that every FReeper government school is "different". Now we can all feel good ;-)

I am originally from Seattle, went to school there, have family members teaching there and around the state. Let me assure you that parents in the really swell Seattle suburbs and "good" city schools have generally been under the impression that their schools are fine - its just those other schools somewhere else that aren't. Delusional? yes, but who says you have to be really well informed to live in Seattle or work for MicroSoft.

[PhillyRepublican]

Guess it's time to throw a few more billion dollars at the problem, huh? That'll fix it!