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this post was submitted on 03 Jul 2023
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No Stupid Questions
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My girlfriend is a math teacher, the number of middle schoolers that can’t do basic multiplication before is surprisingly high. Yet the schools keep passing the kids. I remember learning multiplication as a 4th grader, if I hadn’t, I would’ve never passed.
My niece from Florida came to live with me in December, just finished fifth grade and I was stunned that she doesn’t know her multiplication tables. My kids In Pennsylvania learned them in 3rd grade a few years ago.
Does she understand the concept of multiplication though? That's ultimately the important part.
Learning rote things like multiplication tables seems kinda silly in a world where Google can just do the math for you. But the important thing is to be able to recognize when multiplication is useful.
There are still plenty of instances where doing arithmetic quickly in your head is useful (figuring out a tip at the cash register, for example) that memorizing it can have advantages.
I agree that mental math is useful, but in scenarios like that, times tables aren't really useful since the tables are rotely memorized and rarely does a bill fall nicely into a times table.
Better to learn a technique like "move the decimal place left one position and double that number to get 20%".
But realistically, with a phone in your pocket, it's not much more effort to pull it out and use the calculator.
Exactly. I didn't learn multiplication tables, but instead, my teachers taught what multiplication was and how to do it. Sure, after practicing how to do it I memorized a lot of basic math facts, but it was more important that I understand what I was doing rather than just knowing that 9×5=45. Then again, my parents saw the sorry state of public schools (both teachers) and made sure that I was sent to a decent private school after seeing the travesty of the local public school's reading curriculum.
It’s unfortunate, but the school systems seem to be fine with the problem these days. The teachers are underpaid and furious these days with the school boards.
Sadly if you don’t make noise in your area and get other parents rallied, the administrators are continuing to “cut costs,” and the kids who aren’t in private schools are effected.
Damn. We knew our 2–12 times tables by end of grade two. By the fourth, multiplication was standard and we started algebra concepts in the fifth. I can't imagine being in highschool and not knowing primary things. It makes me wonder what they did all day for years.
Yeah, you’re likely younger and I’m dating myself lol. But I know they started teaching it earlier, a few years later.
I'd argue that math is way less important to take part in society than reading/understanding at least one language that is written around you.
But learning math, in my opinion, plays an important part in developing logic and critical thinking skills
I absolutely agree. However, being able to multiply numbers does not really help you much with that.
My parents (born in 60s) were taught multiplication mostly be memorizing it by heart. In my school (90s), we were taught mostly the principles. My parents are faster (better?) at multiplication, but struggle to do it on larger numbers.
So I'd say that it is not a good measure for deducing a persons logical skills.
I suspect the stats are skewed by immigration and English as a second language households. Sounds like it’s talking specifically about English literacy. I think people tend to underestimate the complexity in standard grade level reading. Think taking Shakespeare in high school and most of the class not really being able to follow. Also consider that a lot of things people read regularly, instruction manuals, news media, billboards, etc. are all designed to target low reading levels to maximize their potential audience.