I found this on a weird little personal blog:
- Why has math been hated by some?
Because it requires them to think and forces them to give the correct and exact value. Math has a clear distinction of right and wrong. Most people love to speak about any issue, but hate to accept that they’re wrong.
That’s the beauty of math… right is right and wrong is wrong.
Concise and true, isn’t it? So many people hate the way their parents, teachers, politicians, and salespeople waffle and prevaricate, yet they don’t like their Ideas to be held up to scrutiny. They are going to grow up just like the people they are complaining about now, unless they learn a system of honest critical-thinking. Math and logic are just the ticket.
Math is the great equalizer. You don’t have to be rich or privileged to excel at it. Some of the greatest mathematicians started out as sons or daughters of poor, rural families. Curiosity and a local library are all you need to get you on your way.
Once again I am going to suggest the greatest introductory math book I know, “The Realm of Numbers,” by Isaac Asimov, even though it is out of print. Google it. Get it.
It is written for non-math people. It will take you from counting to algebra, in plain terms, without “worksheets.”
Don’t take my word for it. It’s a great book. Go now, and google it.
Hotcha!
Brian
I bought this book from Amazon after a previous recommendation on your site. To start, most of it was stuff I already knew of course (adding, subtracting, etc.), but further in the book there were connections made that I’d never been taught or noticed before. And the history of mathematics is pretty interesting too.
I’ll be passing this book on to my son, reading relevant chapters as he progresses through math. Thanks for turning me on to this book.
Brian, you’re doing a tremendous public service.
I’m new here, so I don’t know if you’ve mentioned hotmath.com. For people whose kids are taking math in school, or even home-schooling, using standard high school textbooks, Hotmath provides solutions to all the leading textbooks’ odd-numbered problems in high school math. There was initially some controversy, because although college textbook publishers had been publishing student solutions manuals for many years, this notion of giving younger students this kind of information was foreign to the secondary education establishment. But Hotmath gained legitimacy, as textbook publishers did not object, and many teachers submitted solutions to aid the enterprise. Upshot: we’re not going back.
Actually, with teachers being given solutions manuals to help them with problems they don’t get, the take-home lesson of students being given access to this information is obvious.
One of the “secrets” of Asian-American students’ superior performance in math is TIME and EFFORT.
Growing up, I had a Chinese-American acquaintance who was in a different league from those of us who were merely good in math. His dad, a radio and TV repair shop owner, used to devise hard problems for his son to do, and he had his son do all C problems, most of which the teachers did not assign.
My friend didn’t put a special effort into all subjects,but he worked exceptionally hard in math.
I know an Indian-American family in which the mother has a math degree from one of the Indian Institutes of Technology. Two sons are math aces, the elder having been invited to the USAMO summer team-tryout camp, the other very likely to do so in a few years. They’ve done an amazing amount of math at home.
The immigrant parents in both instances have viewed mathematics as a skill that opens doors of opportunity in this country. To take advantage, you have to make a beyond-ordinary time and effort investments.
For many kids, I don’t know if it is “healthy” to do 2+ hours of math nightly, in addition to other homework. One of the advantages of home education was that my kids did 3 hours +/- of math every morning, bright and fresh. They weren’t toiling at night. We had shorter-than-school-days, 5 hours, compensated by Saturday mornings and 44-48 week schedules. Actually, they didn’t have a fixed math schedule each day, but set their own topic-study and exercise-completion goals each day, and when they felt they had achieved what they planned, or didn’t but felt they were getting tired and losing concentration, they stopped for the day.
In this process, they debunked the old theory that kids only have 45 minute attention spans. I had a 45-minute math attention span growing up. But this was because school entrained me to have this limit. In my first college term, I had no capacity to focus on calculus textbook reading and problem sets for 2 hours, much less the 3 to 4 hours that earning an A required. But as a former high school runner, I applied the same concept of progressive training, this time to get my brain “in shape”, to develop mental stamina. It worked.
This idea was reinforced by a friend who was a competitive swimmer. In late elementary school he spent 60 minutes swimming every afternoon. This increased to two hours in high school. In college he had a one hour workout every morning and two and a half hours in the afternoon, swimming a minimum of 5000 meters (sprint interval days) and a maximum of 10,000 meters (endurance days). Ten thousand meters is about 6 1/2 miles. (He also earned one of the first biophysics B.S.s in the country more than 30 years ago: working with biophysics researchers, he created his own novel major. He worked as hard in math and science courses as he did in the pool.)
You see this phenomenon in soccer, tennis and basketball. These really talented kids, the ones whose parents don’t have to pay for college, because their children receive full-ride scholarships at NCAA Division I schools, aren’t just playing seasonal interscholastic sports, they’re playing year-round for club teams, and they aren’t putting in 50 minutes a day, they’re doing two and a half hours a day. Vic Bradenton’s tennis school in Florida for future pros has four hours of daily training. The onsite high school academic program is molded to fit around the athletic program.
We all have known some really talented musicians. They’re good because they play a lot, every day.
Should schools have double-periods for math? I think so, at least for kids who have a natural interest in the subject. I don’t mean covering twice as many topical units in a year in a blitz acceleration scheme. I mean going into topics in greater depth and exploring them. I mean giving kids more time to do exercises during class with a math-knowledgeable resource person present to help them overcome confusion and misunderstanding. I mean giving kids enough time to enjoy “Aha! Now, I get it” opportunities, which is what makes taking on the challenge of learning mathematics satisfying.
Brian sez:
Wow, these are phenomenal comments and thoughts, Mark. I really appreciate what you have added. I am 100% with you. I wish I had had some encouragement like that when I was younger, myself. I still have a bad attention span, and am doing my best to correct that, now in my fifties. I also believe that there is no age limit for when that cannot be corrected.
Your last paragraph is so insightful. Unfortunately, when schools do get extra resources or time, they tend to squander it on exactly what you mention, they don’t go into depth, help students discover meaning or develop insights – they “cover twice as many topical units in a year in a blitz acceleration scheme.” I don’t know why administrators so often suffer from arrested-development of the skills they need most.
Your comments are always welcome. I believe they can be a great inspiration and motivation to other parents. I know they are to me. Hotcha!
I’ve got a sister who used to say she hated math. Just recently she realized it wasn’t that she hated math, it was that she hated the fact that she didn’t understand math and the she didn’t understand math because she was missing basic building blocks she didn’t catch in school.
Myself, I never hated it but I thought of it as something a little magical and something I couldn’t do because I wasn’t a math person. Several years of being a retail clerk cured me of that and homeschooling my daughter is opening me up to math even more.
Who has not experienced difficulty with word problems? Teaching kids how to write mathematical expressions early and consistently, rather than merely reading expressions written by adults and getting “answers” is vital. Once they learn to express their ideas in mathematical language, it’s far easier to then teach them English to math language translation. In essence, you start with tangible manipulatives, and have students begin translating what they see, feel and manipulate into math language. A writing “fluency” develops.
Once kids can competently assemble mathematical values and operations instruction symbols into correct problem-concordant statements, and then they become intimately familiar and comfortable with this, they can then more readily learn how to connect and apply these processes to new areas, such translating English language statements into these familiar expressions.
Suppose somebody was hired to translate English documents into French. Wouldn’t it be necessary for them to be able to write in French?
In learning how to do word problems per se, it is critical to focus on the translation skill set by starting with and reinforcing simple things. We can see a problem, 30% of 9 is __? What needs to be taught is “of” always means “times”, and you have kids write
30% x 9 = .3 x 9, not just the answer 3.
Similarly, “x per y” means “x divided by”. More than/longer than/older than/faster than is plus, less than/shorter than/younger than/slower than is minus. It’s not enough for teachers to present these translations, kids need to WRITE simple translation statements, and a goodly number of them, repeatedly. When the eyes see something, and the ears hear, these trigger neural processing. When the student’s brain commands the hand to write, this involves different neural processing. Then when the student’s eyes see what his brain has commanded his hand to do, that’s a new feedback process. If it is incorrect, and then is corrected, this triggers additional feedback processing. Repetition “embeds” the skill.
Word problems are hard for even bright students. Many teachers say that you can start kids early on word problems without their having to write equations. This is sensible, but they should stress equation writing as well early on. Why? Once we learn a method, we apply it every time we can: if it works, we use it. But what happens is, we eventually encounter problems that need different methods. S, we’ve solved simple problems that could have been done algebraically, but we used our earlier methods, since they worked, and now we are stuck because the earlier methods don’t work, and we haven’t developed the necessary algebra skills that we should have, starting with easier problems that didn’t require algebra, but were algebraically soluble. We have to make a jump now, rather than a small-step transition. Too many kids can’t and then they decide they’ve taken enough math.
Let’s take a simple problem. The Neon gets 3 miles per gallon more than the Camry. The Neon gets 28 miles per gallon. How many miles per gallon does the Camry get?
This doesn’t require algebra. Kids can mentally translate the information without equations in their minds, and should be encouraged to do so. But suppose they also understand this:
N mi/g = 3 mi/g + C mi/g and N mi/g = 28 mi/g
I’ve used slashes here, but in a classroom presentation or textbook mi would be a numerator, and g would be a denominator, with a horizontal division bar: a crucial element in teaching applied mathematics. I did so many homework assignments, and have seen so many homework assignments done by other people that didn’t have units. I’ve seen tests that specified the units, so students’ answers didn’t require the students to state them. Bad practices.
Units are CRITICAL GIVEN INFORMATION. For example, if you have a problem that gives information in miles and minutes, but asks for miles per hour in the answer, and the student gets 3 miles in 4 minutes, the following makes sense: 3/4 mi/min x 60 min/hr. The minutes cancel out => mi/hr. But 3/4 mi /min / 60 min/hr generates mi-hr /min^2, which doesn’t make sense.
Looked at another way, when units are given in a problem, THAT’S PART OF THE GIVEN INFORMATION. Don’t teach, or allow, kids to “slough this information off.”
Finally, answer checking is given short-shrift in mathematics education. Every teacher gives lip service to answer checking, but how many teachers DUN students who show correct answers without showing answer checks? This is a major teaching mistake. Whether one uses an alternative method or reversing operations or substituting an answer value for the original equation’s variable, more skill is gained through the extra work, work-product quality improves, and self-confidence is gained. So teachers, take points off if answer checks are not shown. If students don’t know how to answer check, teach them how to do this. You’ll be pleased at the improved performances of your students.
i hate math because i like it!
Professor Homunculus sez:
And I like this comment because I don’t get it.
I AM IN THE 6 GRADE IN DO NOT KNOW MY MULTIPLICATION I NEED HELP MY GRATE GRANDAD TODE ME THAT I AM DOM. SO CAN YALL HELP ME
I hate Math because it simply shatters my brain and shakes my every living cells to death. The tome our teacher say “Okey class, let’s start our discussion.” my head trembles at the idea and sleeping is my best defense against my ‘auto-destruction subject.’ I guess i’ll need to live my life, entangled at this monster!!!
Professor Homunculus sez:
Keep reading other posts, Phoebie, and you’ll see that math doesn’t have to be what your teachers have lead you to believe it is. It is pretty “mind-friendly” stuff. The worst thing you can do is buy into the “well, I guess I just don’t get it” theory.
Check out The Math Mojo Manifesto for a start.
Good luck, and keep your mind open!
Hello Mojo,
(As a blues harp player, I love that name.)
I believe that liking math begins with learning to add. This is the first big math challenge kids encounter and if a student meets it with success it sets the stage for everything that comes afterward.
Unfortunately, only a handful of kids enjoy “great” success with addition. “So-so” applies to most and some students get creamed.
It’s a crying shame because it’s not at all necessary that kids do only “so-so” with the basic tables. In fact, it’s fairly easy for them to become automatic with math facts and have fun doing it.
It’s done with a software program called CapJaxMathFax. I know you’ve seen all kinds of electronic flashcards. Those programs are to CapJax what the card game “war” is to poker.
Let me know if you’re interested. I can arrange for you to get a look. Seriously, I’ve seen kids who hated and were afraid of math start having fun inside just a couple of minutes.
By the way, the learning principles that underlie CapJax’ effectiveness may be applied to more conceptual areas of math as well. It would be fun to talk about how they could be applied.
Professor Homunculus sez:
I’ve checked out CapJaxMathFax and I can see how it could definitely help a child get their math facts down cold. Cap Jack also has the program available for schools and districts.
The method are not the same as Math Mojo but if you learn how to add with Math Mojo, you can practice it with CapJaxMathFax.
Cap Jack and I have spoken, and we are on the same page about how easy it can be to get the basic facts down cold, and that it shouldn’t be a chore, but an enjoyable challenge. Also about good addition skills being the key to liking math, and “so-so” not being good enough.
If your child’s school has not gotten him or her up to speed with their basic math skills, CapJaxMathFax might be a good answer for you.
..hello good afternoon..Im a Filipino student who is gathering data for my baby thesis.,The reasons,factors,& causes why most students hate math..im very thankful if anyone could help me??
I just put an article on web called Education Establishment Hates Math. I was Googling it and found you…
So here’s my thesis. The Education Establishment, in ALL subjects, does a poor job of teaching foundational knowledge and basics. New Math and Reform Math (and all these Standards we hear about) seem to deliberately shroud everything in wordy abstractions. The theory is that kids need advanced stuff mixed in with the simple stuff. The theory is bull. Keep it simple, stupid. Master that!
So we really don’t know how many people hate math. Why don’t we systematically teach a generation of kids in the best, most effective way? That would be a total change!
Just put up another article that says all first-grade math could be taught with our coins.
Bruce Deitrick Price
Bruce,
I took a look at your site and am generally in agreement with most things. I also like how you write.
I’m not sure about this “Education Establishment” thing though. Smacks a bit of conspiracy theory. I don’t think anyone deliberately shrouds things in wordy abstraction. I think you are right of course, that they do it, but I think it’s not deliberate. It’s just plain ignorant. They think the more “educational” it sounds, the more educational it is. Big mistake.
I can’t find the real author of the quote, but someone once said something like, “Never ascribe to deviousness that which can be better explained as incompetence.”
As far as the best, most effective way, well, that’s a bit of a Snark hunt. There is no one best way — for anything. There should be lots of ways to look at things so a student gets a feel for the thing, the context, and the meaning for the student. “One best way” is sort of Dewey’s (that little pedophile) way for educating. He wanted us all to go to school to learn each subject “just right” so as to make little drones and consumers out of all of us.
We shouldn’t fall into that trap. We also shouldn’t be in love with “learning all the ways” at the expense of never learning anything. I think that may be what you are getting at. Our schools, in general, have gone pretty extreme as far as cafeteria-style education. It’s one thing to have a lot of choices, but it’s another not to be able to make a decision at some point. That’s why the legacy of American schools is rampand ADD.
Your articles are fun, and I will read some more. Thanks for dropping by.
Brian (a.k.a. Professor Homunculus at MathMojo.com )
Whoops, I think I spoke too soon. Just read your article about education and conspiracy. Your thoughts about it don’t smack of conspiracy theory, they reek of it. Just plain nuts and paranoid. There are too many fallacies and assumptions in it to bother with here. No need to. The article itself is it’s own rebuttal. Sorry, Bruce, you walked into your “theory” with a conclusion. Very bad mojo.
I`m a returned adult college student who plans on teaching history. I had math some 40 years ago in high school and passed with a 65. I can`t for the life of me see why I need to take it now-remedial math at that. I absolutely HATE it! I`m no dummy,I have a 3.79 GPA and the worst grade I ever got was a C+-only one. I know that I need to pass this-and basic algebra to get my degree. I`m not looking fowards to it.
I can only speak for myself but keep that in mind reading this story.
From the time I was in 1st grade, 6 years old, I’ve had problems with math. First it was just trying to understand subtraction. We started multiplication and I went down in flames. From the time I was 6, first grade, up to graduating in the 12th grade and now 3 years in college math has been a source of constant torment.
Elementary school? Tutored. Was enrolled in a summer-school program for math. Still did bad.
Middle school? Went in early and stayed after, still couldn’t get better than a C.
High school? Borrowed old exams from teachers. Had NHS tutors for 3 years. Still couldn’t get better then a C. Math kept me out of the National Honors Society
Through this 13 years there were constant groundings, arguements, and fights with my parents and friends. “Get the f*** off my back, -you can’t even do this and you work with numbers for a living-” is the wrong way to discuss a D in 7th grade math.
Now having been raked over the coals & failing at math for 13 years; while understanding its importance and wanting to be good at it, why would I ever do anything less than hate it?
Well, if you poke around Math Mojo a bit, it won’t take you long to find the answer. The reason that you wouldn’t hate math is because you’ve never really been introduced to it. That crap that people feed kids in most schools is the opposite of math. It is dogmatic memorization. Math is the adventure of discovering and recording patterns (among other things). It “making sense of the world.” The rotten, authoritarian, ignorant ways that many people try to ram some equations down your throat is not math.
I went through the same thing as you. I had the luck, in my thirties to find some books that were really about the spirit of math. Check out some of them here.http://www.mathmojo.com/order_.....books.html .
Than check out some of these posts.
Check out http://www.mathmojo.com/chroni.....at-math_1/
http://www.squidoo.com/why-you-suck-at-math
Don’t blame math for bad education. If they taught sex like they teach math, you’d hate sex, too. So don’t help yourself be discouraged. Find out the truth
Hello All,
I am Indian, just about average in Math.The reason being lack of strong fundamentals from lowers grades.You realize in 9th grade how important math is and start working on them….one needs to go back to 7th grade math cover the base.Most of the frustration people who do not like math arise from not being attentive in class could be due to low attention span.Parents should really help out kids in this regard.parents need to really know if their child listen and understand in class.
Amen, Brother! Thanks for your thoughts, Kiran.
Just to let you know, I am not that sort of person that will treat math as a soft teddy. I hate maths and I really need help for my exams next month!! if I want to be in a high set I have to be good at maths! Anyone who see’s this please just replay to me any ideas.
Hey!I just want some help regarding our research paper.Our topic is, “Why do most high school students hate math?”. I hope you could help me.ASAP!thanks!
Just a reply to Mark Schooley…
30% of 9 is 2.7, not 3