http://www.mombian.com/2006/11/14/math-skills-dont-add-up/ Sustenance for Lesbian Moms Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:39:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.mombian.com/2006/11/14/math-skills-dont-add-up/comment-page-1/#comment-6822 William Wed, 15 Nov 2006 16:37:39 +0000 http://mombian.com/2006/11/14/math-skills-dont-add-up/#comment-6822 You're right. This math issue is an important one we all need to address. Math scores are dropping, and parents aren't flinching. Overall, parental concern over math and science education has fallen since 1994, with 64% stating that math and science education is not a problem in their public school systems. In addition, 70% of those parents surveyed believe that their child's high school is teaching the right amount of math and science. For more information on "Reality Check 2006," go to http://www.publicagenda.org/research/pdfs/rc0601.pdf. You’re right. This math issue is an important one we all need to address. Math scores are dropping, and parents aren’t flinching. Overall, parental concern over math and science education has fallen since 1994, with 64% stating that math and science education is not a problem in their public school systems. In addition, 70% of those parents surveyed believe that their child’s high school is teaching the right amount of math and science. For more information on “Reality Check 2006,” go to http://www.publicagenda.org/research/pdfs/rc0601.pdf.

]]> http://www.mombian.com/2006/11/14/math-skills-dont-add-up/comment-page-1/#comment-6817 C Wed, 15 Nov 2006 15:37:16 +0000 http://mombian.com/2006/11/14/math-skills-dont-add-up/#comment-6817 An ill-prepared math teacher, especially at the elementary level, can really mess up a kid's chances to "get" math. Think of a room full of 5th graders learning the order of operation incorrectly (a real-life example that happened to my best friend's boy). Done the correct way, (3+3X5)/9=?? is easy-peasy. Incorrectly could be crazy-making for a kid. Things we learn early on stick and are awfully hard to correct once "learned". We doubt ourselves and have emotional/stress responses when approached with the problem, struggle to remember which way was correct and could easily decide that we are just no good at the subject. Hopefully, the study, along with maybe improving the system, will spark parents to pay some attention to their kid's homework. I don't expect every parent to even know/remember order of operations (my sister, for example, never got it in the first place), but chances are, one or two might and when they find the teacher making a mistake (which is okay, and to be expected now and then,sheesh!), they might be willing to speak up and point out the error. Communication between teachers and parents, to me, is the most fundamental. Not sure how well that is being done in most places, where parents either implicitly trust the teacher or are scared to approach them. Can we work on that, too?? An ill-prepared math teacher, especially at the elementary level, can really mess up a kid’s chances to “get” math. Think of a room full of 5th graders learning the order of operation incorrectly (a real-life example that happened to my best friend’s boy). Done the correct way, (3+3X5)/9=?? is easy-peasy. Incorrectly could be crazy-making for a kid.
Things we learn early on stick and are awfully hard to correct once “learned”. We doubt ourselves and have emotional/stress responses when approached with the problem, struggle to remember which way was correct and could easily decide that we are just no good at the subject. Hopefully, the study, along with maybe improving the system, will spark parents to pay some attention to their kid’s homework. I don’t expect every parent to even know/remember order of operations (my sister, for example, never got it in the first place), but chances are, one or two might and when they find the teacher making a mistake (which is okay, and to be expected now and then,sheesh!), they might be willing to speak up and point out the error. Communication between teachers and parents, to me, is the most fundamental. Not sure how well that is being done in most places, where parents either implicitly trust the teacher or are scared to approach them. Can we work on that, too??

]]>