The author of this article does not understand math :). Learning math is difficult. There're two things you need to learn: fundamental concepts and skills. Thes

The author of this article does not understand math :). Learning math is difficult. There're two things you need to learn: fundamental concepts and skills. These two things are related and commingled. Mastering both requires extraordinary effort. I come from a skill-focused math education. I was pretty good with skills. But I didn't understand fundamental concepts. I still remember my struggle with prime numbers. Those problems were the hardest for me. I didn't understand why prime numbers are popular. In college, I discovered the meaning of prime numbers and their applications. Then, I was reading a lot about prime numbers just for fun. My kids are now learning in the American education system. I feel like there is a shift to skill-focused math education. I suppose American educators feel like we need to "catch up" with other countries in terms of test scores. I find those objectives silly. Comparing test score is very easy. Gauging concept understanding is much harder. I myself will encourage my kids to understand the fundamental concepts.