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I think people massively overestimate what kids are willing to do or capable of. Kids are stupid. Like really dumb, not even just not well informed (they are e

I think people massively overestimate what kids are willing to do or capable of. Kids are stupid. Like really dumb, not even just not well informed (they are entirely uninformed) but also wildly illogical and without strategy. They do by brute force. Unable to appraise tasks and split them into smaller pieces. I don't think many get to use an abacus these days but if you do you'll see an abacus makes visual the way numbers can be split into digits for addition and subtraction. Believe it or not at one point in your life that wasn't so deeply rooted into your soul that it seems alien and a colossal insight. To kids the sums of numbers might as well have been plucked from thin air. Every time there is an attempt to teach kids "useful" maths there's a backlash that it's too hard. That parents can't manage it. New Maths, Common Core. Add to that 50% have IQ below the mean ( of course).

samatman 4y ago
The (of course) is true of the median, not the mean.
- psychphysic 4y ago
  Of course. Glad to be corrected. Clearly I need to hit the abacas harder to bone up on my averages!
dylan604 4y ago
I wholeheartedly disagree with the "kids are stupid" comment. They just have no experience. I've coached 4-5yo kid soccer. With guidance and instruction and lots of practice, they went from wanting to kick the ball as hard as they could to dribbling the ball in total control in one season. Some of them had better skills/ball control than some of their older siblings that were not taught the same way. All they needed was to be shown how, encouragement to keep at it, and someone willing with the time to do it with them. It wasn't until this team (I had coached older kids prior) that I immediately understood why people became coaches/teachers. The look on their faces when they realized they could do something. It was the pride of a parent multiplied by each player.

samatman 4y ago

The (of course) is true of the median, not the mean.

psychphysic 4y ago
Of course. Glad to be corrected. Clearly I need to hit the abacas harder to bone up on my averages!

dylan604 4y ago

I wholeheartedly disagree with the "kids are stupid" comment. They just have no experience. I've coached 4-5yo kid soccer. With guidance and instruction and lots of practice, they went from wanting to kick the ball as hard as they could to dribbling the ball in total control in one season. Some of them had better skills/ball control than some of their older siblings that were not taught the same way. All they needed was to be shown how, encouragement to keep at it, and someone willing with the time to do it with them. It wasn't until this team (I had coached older kids prior) that I immediately understood why people became coaches/teachers. The look on their faces when they realized they could do something. It was the pride of a parent multiplied by each player.