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Is Math Worth the Effort

In this article I show a couple of powerful reasons why the study of mathematics is completely fundamental for our kids.

Author: Robert Duval

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For generations of students, the complaint has been always “Why do I need to learn mathematics? There is no use for it in reality. Or, I want to be a writer, a rock-star, and I’m completely sure I won’t need it. Technological progress makes it even harder. The varied arrays of electronic wonders that are available for the public make the perspective of performing mathematical calculations even less enticing. Does it make any sense the effort involved in memorization of formulas and procedures when the only thing you need to do is to punch in a symbol to receive the answer immediately to what you asked?

The answer to the question has some depth, which goes a bit further the evident. It is obvious that no one enjoys memorizing just for the sake of memorizing; nevertheless, the foundation is what is usually better learned initially. It is possible that reversing the way facts are presented might do much toward helping students to comprehend why the study of math can be helpful.

The first reason why children should work on math problems is that they force the student to read and comprehend the question or problem. The student learns to organize their thinking in order to understand the true dimensions of the problem. The formulas by themselves won’t help to fully comprehend how to apply a formula. In order to master that ability, the students need to train their brains in order to recognize patterns and elements that will allow them to associate knowledge and to gain understanding. This new found understanding, obtained from the practice in figuring out the parameters in a math problem also contributes in other fields of study.

Also, the objective of math is to deliver this mental order that allows understanding actually how things work in the calculators and other electronic devices. In other words, you need to now math to make your math easier using a calculator. In fact, the actual calculation performed with the aid of an electronic device can be simply of no use if we are not able to give an interpretation to it, or how to apply it. And this applies not only to relatively meaningless calculations but to calculations that have consequences in our lives. For instance, we can use a calculator to compute a mortgage payment based on the current interest rate and term of the loan, but the result canl be meaningless if we don’t understand the mechanics of the calculation.

The current state of affairs in American education is difficult at best. Standardized tests show a decrease in the math understanding of our students and the tendency doesn’t seem to get any signs of getting reverted in the short-run. Criticism of teachers for 'teaching to the test' has been widespread, but specifically for math, it is hard to see how logic and inductive reasoning which are needed to solve most real life math problems can be considered teaching to the test.

About Author

Robert is a member of StatisticsBrain, a tutoring resource that offers help with statistics homework.

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Is Math Worth the Effort