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The real world depends on base 10, and so it's way more practical to learn calculations in base 10. I said calculations, not math. I think there is a big confu
by koonsolo 7y ago
The real world depends on base 10, and so it's way more practical to learn calculations in base 10. I said calculations, not math.
I think there is a big confusion between math and calculations. Kids learn calculations, not math. Learning the multiplication table is just a way of how to do quick calculations inside your head.
I need to pay 35.15 euros, so how much do I get back? That is calculation not math. In my opinion the most practical thing that kids need to learn first. It's more about remembering than logic.
When the get older, math comes into the picture. They can leave calculations up to calculators or computers, and learn the language of math.
So in my opinion, there needs to be a more clear distinction between calculations and math, because they are definitely not the same.
- pharke 7y agoWasn't the premise of the article that the reason U.S. students perform so poorly in math in higher grades is because they are only being taught to memorize arithmetical facts and algorithms without properly learning the reasoning behind them? It seems you're prescribing the cause of the problem.
- koonsolo 7y agoNo, I'm saying that they are 2 different things, which seems to both end up in the "math" bucket. Both have their applicability, but knowing one doesn't imply knowing the other. Each one also has a proper age group to start teaching it. Little kids have great memory but limited reasoning skills. That changes when they are older, so at that point you should switch from calculations to math. Dropping calculations for math is just as stupid as dropping math because you think calculations are enough.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]