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«Add 7.1% sales tax to the $19.95 ticket» (or whatever) is a 1-step (or generously 2-step) arithmetic problem, of the kind most students in many parts in the wo
by jacobolus 6y ago
«Add 7.1% sales tax to the $19.95 ticket» (or whatever) is a 1-step (or generously 2-step) arithmetic problem, of the kind most students in many parts in the world learn to understand conceptually at age 6–7 with no problem. It additionally involves multi-digit multiplication, of the type people typically learn by about age 9–10 (?).
If students have not practiced solving problems enough to handle combining these things until age 13, and many are still struggling with it at age 15 (with a calculator!), that’s a serious indictment of the entire education system.
- throwaway2245 6y agoI checked some well-respected national curriculums. Singapore was the only one I found where percentage increase is introduced earlier as a national standard. It's mentioned in the curriculum for Singapore Primary 6, i.e. 11–12 year olds, for students in the higher of two streams for mathematics.