that comment reveals how deeply flawed math instruction is. math is not fundamentally different from other subjects and yes this technique does work for math.

that comment reveals how deeply flawed math instruction is. math is not fundamentally different from other subjects and yes this technique does work for math. I know because i had a differential equations exam friday that I hadn't opened the book on until ~5 hours before the exam. math should be taught as a natural web of ideas that are intimately connected because that's what it is even more so than any other subject. forget a formula? if you understand the topic you can re-derive it trivially. I've taken this philosophy to such an extreme that I often forget basic facts about manipulation because i know i can just figure it out with a quick proof if need be. but hardly anyone is taught this way. since we never learn to think critically about the methods we're learning from a young age we certainly can't suddenly start in college. this is the main reason I believe there's such a heavy washout rate in higher math. all of a sudden you have to think critically about what you're actually doing with those symbols on the page and its just an extreme shock because it's literally the first time for many people. this is echoed in A Mathematician's Lament (great read BTW) where the author says that (para) kids who thought they were good at math suddenly discover they were only good at following directions.