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Worth noting this detail towards the bottom of the article: > Scores on the California Achievement Test in mathematics for the Kaktovik middle school improved

Worth noting this detail towards the bottom of the article: > Scores on the California Achievement Test in mathematics for the Kaktovik middle school improved dramatically in 1997 compared to previous years. Before the introduction of the new numerals, the average score had been in the 20th percentile; after their introduction, scores rose to above the national average. It is theorized that being able to work in both base-10 and base-20 might have comparable advantages to those bilingual students have from engaging in two ways of thinking about the world.

hgsgm 4y ago
It's seems much more likely that the new system was easier to use because it's an iconic tally system (vertical stroke = 1, horizontal = 5) that doesn't require leaerning 9 digit symbols or place value.
- jasonwatkinspdx 4y ago
  Yeah, I think the wiki statement might be poorly worded, but the way I interpret it is something like: - they learned base 20 counting verbally at home, possibly simple additions, multiplications, and such too - they learned base 10 english counting as well, and eventually written arithmetic with Arabic numerals - but there was a missing link in having to translate bases that made it harder for them to understand the underlying patterns of written arithmetic or even algebra - having the new written numerals provided that missing bridge, allowing them to round out their understanding To be clear that's just armchair speculation on my part, but that's how I interpreted it. They went from having a challenge of a missing mental connection, to having the advantage of two perspectives. But certainly there's confounders, like perhaps the new numeral system motivated more interest and family support in math.
aaron695 4y ago
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retrac 4y ago
Or perhaps engaging with this topic so practically - understanding their native language's counting system and then devising a notation - sparked an interest in what is often perceived as a useless and boring topic. I had a few "ooh, this is not only useful, but intellectually fun" experiences with math in school. Positional number systems was one of them. Distinct aha moment. So much of what had not made sense before suddenly did, including why we had just spent weeks on logarithms. Without at least a few experiences like that, I am sure I would have been even more tuned out in class, destined to hate math for life. I found the way it was taught most of the time to be a form of low-grade torture.
boppo1 4y ago
What is a positional number system and how do logarithms help in learning/using it?

hgsgm 4y ago

It's seems much more likely that the new system was easier to use because it's an iconic tally system (vertical stroke = 1, horizontal = 5) that doesn't require leaerning 9 digit symbols or place value.

jasonwatkinspdx 4y ago
Yeah, I think the wiki statement might be poorly worded, but the way I interpret it is something like: - they learned base 20 counting verbally at home, possibly simple additions, multiplications, and such too - they learned base 10 english counting as well, and eventually written arithmetic with Arabic numerals - but there was a missing link in having to translate bases that made it harder for them to understand the underlying patterns of written arithmetic or even algebra - having the new written numerals provided that missing bridge, allowing them to round out their understanding To be clear that's just armchair speculation on my part, but that's how I interpreted it. They went from having a challenge of a missing mental connection, to having the advantage of two perspectives. But certainly there's confounders, like perhaps the new numeral system motivated more interest and family support in math.

aaron695 4y ago

[dead]

retrac 4y ago

Or perhaps engaging with this topic so practically - understanding their native language's counting system and then devising a notation - sparked an interest in what is often perceived as a useless and boring topic. I had a few "ooh, this is not only useful, but intellectually fun" experiences with math in school. Positional number systems was one of them. Distinct aha moment. So much of what had not made sense before suddenly did, including why we had just spent weeks on logarithms. Without at least a few experiences like that, I am sure I would have been even more tuned out in class, destined to hate math for life. I found the way it was taught most of the time to be a form of low-grade torture.

boppo1 4y ago

What is a positional number system and how do logarithms help in learning/using it?