Re: LOGO-L> arithmetic

[George Mills <mills@softronix.com>]

I agree for the most part.

As long as they understand that numbers add and multiple etc.
it really does not matter if they are fast or good at it.
I think it's much more useful to learn higher level math
even if a calculator or computer is needed.

But you do have to be careful if you go to high and to fast
they will not grasp the concepts and will get lost.

I really disagree that with the comment in this thread
that "they can figure out the rest".

On a similar subject:

My daughter was in Mid-Level math in junior high.
She was struggling a bit. So I stepped in and corrected her
math every night and had her fix everything that was wrong
until she got it right. If the answer slipped out in the
process of helping her get it right, I'd give her a another
similar problem. It took about 3-4 years of this.
Now she is in Honors math with A's and tutoring other
Honors students and I don't touch her homework.
I wish I could of helped her this much in the english
department but she's doing much better than I did
in that department.

jstclair@omsd.cerf.fred.org wrote:
> 
> Please reply to bh@anarres.CS.Berkeley.EDU (Brian Harvey)  or
> logo-l@gsn.org   NOT   logo-list@gsn.org  or  me.
> 
>                         -John-
> --Message below re-posted by <jstclair@omsd.cerf.fred.org>
> Date - 31 Mar 1998 13:58:28 GMT
> >From - bh@anarres.CS.Berkeley.EDU (Brian Harvey)
> To - jcstclair@omsd
> Subject - Re: LOGO-L> arithmetic
> Usenet: comp.lang.logo
> ------------------
> Post Usenet mail to comp-lang-logo@ucbvax.berkeley.edu
> ------------------
> 
> "prkosuth" <prkosuth@mychoice.net> writes:
> >What is the role of arithmetic in math above the 6th grade (to be kind of
> >arbitrary) ?  What arithmetic is essential to furthur math development
> >above the 6th grade ? What are the core arith goals to allow students to be
> >successful in the core math curriculum as discussed by NCTM ?
> 
> I am an extremist in these matters.  I think that the ENTIRE instruction
> in arithmetic should take place on the first day of kindergarten, when
> the teacher says to the kid, "here is your calculator."
> 
> Later mathematics instruction should be about understanding the operations,
> not about pushing digits around.
> 
> Most math teachers, even the progressive ones, disagree with me and want
> to have some practice in arithmetic *along with* the part about understanding
> the operations.
> 
> But in either case I think it's crazy to try to teach kids arithmetic
> beyond elementary school.  Even if they haven't learned great skill at
> it by then, switching gears and letting them do some real math is more
> likely to be successful than just saying it again louder, which is what
> junior high arithmetic class is.  In fact I don't see why kids shouldn't
> be learning algebra by grade 6, with "pre-algebra" activities starting
> somewhere around grade 3 (along with the other math stuff).

-- 
===============================================================
George Mills
email: mills@softronix.com
http://www.softronix.com
The www page contains some very powerful educational software.
Our single most important investment is our kids.
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