Discovering the Hidden Value of Math
- Monday, June 28, 2010
"Mathematics is food for the brain," says math professor Dr. Arthur Benjamin. "It helps you think precisely, decisively, and creatively and
Discovering the Hidden Value of Math
- Monday, June 28, 2010
"Mathematics is food for the brain," says math professor Dr. Arthur Benjamin. "It helps you think precisely, decisively, and creatively and helps you look at the world from multiple perspectives.... [It's] a new way to experience beauty—in the form of a surprising pattern or an elegant logical argument."1 A powerful description, but what if your family struggles with math? How do you teach math in a way that helps your children catch that vision?
The Myth: You Will Use This in Real life
I recently spoke with a mom who often pleads with her kids to study math, telling them they will need it later in life. Her mathematically frustrated offspring are skeptical. She wonders why so many children say: "I don't need to learn this. I am not going to be an engineer anyway, so why bother?" My response was: "Their young minds can't find a tangible, long-term benefit. Short-term fun and ease is much more appealing." For that same reason, the "you'll use this someday" argument can be exhausting and ineffective. It may even sabotage your efforts if your children recognize it as a lukewarm truth.
Before my Inbox fills up with flaming emails, let me elaborate. I took Advanced Placement Calculus in high school, college-level Math Theory, and graduate-level Statistics. As an adult, I have many responsibilities, yet I use almost none of that knowledge now. I am not atypical. On a daily basis, most people primarily use the four basic