Does Your Child Hate Math?
I recently discovered some thought provoking information regarding the teaching of mathematics – one of those subjects that people tend to either loathe or love. Could history be telling us that we are doing it all wrong and formally teaching mathematics too early? Or are we only trying to catch up to where we should have been for a long time?
Harvey Bluedorn, in the article Formal Arithmetic at Age Ten, Hurried or Delayed? (2001), gives insight into the historical perspectives of at what ages mathematics were formally introduced to children. This background clearly shows a tendency to wait – give children time to develop other skills before hauling out the textbooks that comprise pre-algebra. Throughout history it appears that civilizations across the globe withheld formal teachings of mathematics until children were closer to a teenager, or perhaps even 15 years of age. During the 16th century there began a movement to teach arithmetic to children who were – gasp – only 10 years old.
The 19th century led to the even more rebellious practice of teaching children ages 6 or 7 the basics of arithmetic, but this was only done by a select few teachers. It is entirely a modern trend that developed in the 20th century to formally teach children mathematics. Were generations passed ignorant to the importance of an “early start” in mathematics, was there simply no great need, or did they have a better understanding of the way a child’s brain works? Just maybe it was a combination of both – but the implications are still valuable.
Other academic studies from the modern age also seem to support the proposition that early formal mathematics instruction is not always the best option. Prime Time for Education: Early Childhood or Adolescence?, by William D. Rohwer Jr., reports that, “early childhood may simply be an inefficient period in which to try to teach skills that can be relatively quickly learned in adolescence.” Test results also showed that early formal education in mathematics did not necessarily equate to successful math test scores later in life.
The idea is not that children shouldn’t learn basic math skills. The idea is that children should not be formally taught math with those weighted arithmetic books that involve rote repitition. Young children, those under the age of 10 years, are still developing language and thought skills. Focusing on positive developments in these directions will give them the foundation onto which mathematic skills can be built.
As the current trend in schools is to push for more rigorous academic standards, we would probably be hard pressed to easily sway school administrations and politicians that what our kids really need is to slow down. As a parent who homeschools, I am proponent of thorough, thought-provoking studies for our kids. I am also, however, more capable of adjusting my approach to see which methods work on an individual basis. For parents who sit and do math homework with their 7 year olds at night and sometimes see that frustration or hesitation, talk with your child’s teacher and school administration. Subjects like math can be learned at these young ages without the formality of 100 page lesson books.
- Card games such as 7-Ate-9 and Math War are great at building basic fact skills, and can be played at various levels without the intimidation of tests and pop quizzes. Some other good ones to try include Smath, Math Blaster, and Dominoes.
- Invest in puzzles and other simple toys like cash registers that incorporate numbers into every day creative play. Tangrams are simple and easy ways to introduce shapes and can be extended for more complicated math lessons.
- Engage your children in real world mathematics problems. This was how children for centuries learned their arithmetic. Ask them to weigh things at the grocery store, compare prices, count the money for purchases, watch you pay bills (yes – this is a great lesson on so many levels!), and use their brain for calculations instead of the nearest computer or calculator. If the problem is too large for them to handle, let them watch you figure it out – on paper.
- Read great books together like The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure, by Hans Magnus Enzensberger, Rotraut Susanne Berner, and Michael Henry Heim. My 7 year old read this last year, then passed it on to his older siblings. It is an intelligent look at how numbers relate to each other and how we use them. My son was deeply intrigued by how the authors wove this story around the tricks of mathematics, and he absolutely learned amazing tricks that he still uses. It is fascinating to hear him calculate equations at the age of 8 now and use the principals taught in what is essentially a storybook.
So, save your kids the trauma of growing up to hate math. Bring the fun, edgy, and eclectic methods into their academic studies that will enhance their abilities and understanding. History is an amazing teacher, and it looks like it is trying to teach us that kids don’t have to master Algebra by the 3rd grade. Whew.
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