Letters to the Editor

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Letter of the day: Counting on math strategies

Posted: 02/9/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Archives Forrest Park School students Maddie Lavarias and Tia Collins with teacher Sabrina Slessor.

I strongly disagree with the Feb. 3 article by Michael Zwaagstra, Education faculties should disappear. He appears confused about the goals of math education. I suspect that, given a choice between understanding and rote skills, he would choose the latter.

The algorithm is both a useful and elegant tool but it remains just that: a tool. Rather than simply memorizing facts, as Zwaagstra suggests, students can learn them far easier by focusing on strategies and the relationships between the numbers. For example, multiplication facts are quickly learned when there is understanding as to what multiplication is and how it relates to addition, and realizing that knowledge of certain facts gives you access to many more.

Send a Letter to the Editor

The Free Press welcomes letters from readers.

To send a letter for consideration on our Letters page: Fill out our online form at the link above, or Email letters@freepress.mb.ca, or Fax (204) 697-7412, or Mail Letters to the Editor, 1355 Mountain Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R2X 3B6.

Ironically, it has been suggested that current woes are a result of the very method that Zwaagstra promotes: memorization and emphasis on skills. The comment that teachers "let" students invent their own methods of computation is misleading. Without any guidance or prompting, children will always gravitate to their own procedures. In many cases, these are as efficient as the standard algorithm and, more important, make sense to the child.

It is easy to dismiss something different than that which has always characterized math education. Our goal is to prepare students to be lifelong learners. This does not come through memorizing facts or performing procedures without understanding.

That is how we train circus animals. It is not how we shape creative young minds.

NEIL DEMPSEY

Winnipeg

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 9, 2012 A11

(You must be logged in to post your reaction)

Your reaction?

More Letters to the Editor

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010; View the changes. New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.