| ! What is 9 x 12? If you learned it like I did, without | | | | someone from eating a bunless wiener? That may be |
| even thinking, the number 108 pops into your head. | | | | funny, but the issue is serious. |
| In fact, whenever you hear nine and twelve | | | | Study after study shows the US lagging behind other |
| mentioned together, two numbers automatically | | | | countries in graduating scientists and engineers. |
| come to mind—21 and 108. The first is the | | | | Basic arithmetic facts, such as sum and product |
| sum of the numbers mentioned, and the last is their | | | | number pairs are easily mastered by young children, |
| product. Because of the commutative properties of | | | | and when they instinctively know the correct |
| addition and multiplication, it does not matter in which | | | | answers, they are rewarded with instant gratification, |
| order they appear; the sum, and the product will | | | | a sense of accomplishment, and the desire to |
| always be the same. Not so for subtraction and | | | | continue learning. These are excellent qualities to |
| division, but that’s another story. | | | | foster in a child. They set the tone for future learning |
| Nowadays, math is taught differently. Memorization | | | | and future success. |
| of such facts is not encouraged, and in some cases, | | | | A junior high science, robotics, and rocketry teacher |
| arriving at the correct answer isn’t even | | | | at a Charter School in Arizona saw his students |
| important, but high school graduates need solid math | | | | struggling with the math portion of his classes, the |
| skills, whether headed to college, or to work, | | | | necessary calculations needed to determine rocket |
| according to the National Mathematics Advisory Panel. | | | | payload and trajectory, and traced the root of this |
| Why have teaching methods changed? I have my | | | | problem to their lack of the basic math skills required. |
| theories, and most of them center around the sales | | | | Determined to help these students, who otherwise |
| of text books to schools. When you teach | | | | had a bright future in a scientific field, he devised an |
| facts—the very definition of which is always | | | | audio CD to teach them the multiplication tables that |
| true; unchangeable—you need not buy new | | | | they had not been taught, and soon, they were |
| textbooks very often. | | | | performing as expected in the science class. |
| New math notwithstanding, memorization is still best | | | | Children who take a home-study course will find |
| when it comes to basic arithmetic skills such as | | | | themselves far ahead of their classmates who may |
| addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of | | | | be struggling with math in school because they lack |
| small numbers. And it’s that instantaneous | | | | the proper foundation. And older students who |
| knowledge of the interaction between small numbers | | | | missed gaining this knowledge at the elementary level |
| that enables us to tackle the larger, more complex | | | | will find it easier to solve more advanced math |
| ones. Without command of the times tables, | | | | problems after using an additional tutorial program. |
| attempting to solve number problems will only lead | | | | The news often reports how poorly American |
| students to discouragement, poor performance, and | | | | students perform in math and science when |
| sometimes drop out, and even failure. | | | | compared to other industrialized and emerging |
| How many times in a day do we use these skills in | | | | nations, proving that despite the sizeable cost we |
| real life? You balance your checkbook, measure a | | | | pay for education, our schools are not getting the |
| room, double a recipe, figure your miles per gallon, | | | | job done. Parents must become involved and seek |
| calculate cost comparisons while shopping, and more. | | | | out supplementary tools if they expect their children |
| Hot dogs come in packages of ten, and buns are sold | | | | to learn, and the areas most at risk are math, |
| in eight-packs. How do you deal with that to prevent | | | | science, history, and critical thinking skills. |