<p>If you are figuring out that 6<em>8 is 3</em>4 + 3*4 = 12+12+24 (which my younger son was perfectly capable of doing) despite having math class every day, or refiguring out the Pythagoreum theorem from scratch (which he also did on one precalc test) you end up losing a lot of time. It hurts you on the SAT and most classroom tests. Though my son’s precalc teacher (whom he loved) was so impressed by his figuring out the Pythagoreum theorem from first principles that he wrote him a great recommendation letter.</p>
<p>Pythagoreum theorem is the one that nobody can forget if they do their homework at school in the same way that you cannot forget what “table” or “chair” means if you speak English. There are many others that can be derived and solved using this very very basic formula which is at the level of 2+2=4
there are few other very basic ones that you will remember and the trig’s ones are the most memorable.<br>
As I said, after these, deriving the rest should not take more than 1-2 min. I am not talking about Theory of Relativity here, so no need to hype up about it, we are talking about k- 12 and UG level math for god sake.
It is much harder, much more challenging task even for a very strong writer to wirte a good English paper in HS than figure out some HS calc math if it is taght correctly. However the fact is that while English is taught at the very high level and requirements of the AP classes are very high, math is NOT taught properly in American k - 12. It is an opinion of every single person who has kids in the American k - 12 and who happen to get their own education outside of this system, no exceptions. These people are basically shocked by this fact and supplement it at home in any shape they can. Here you go with at least partial explanation of the Asian academic success. the rest is pretty much work ethic.
There are teachers out there who understand this difference and correct it in their instructions. They can make a big difference.</p>
<p>MiamiDAP: you can’t say “nobody” (as in your first sentence)… people with some learning disabilities exist, they’re smart but something “blocks”, and yes they forget a theorem (or, momentarily, what the word is for that thing you sit on, although they cover it with words like “stuff” or “thing”, or “there”). Students do forget theorems and operations, not just those with a learning disability. And please don’t say geometry is basic, it’s insulting for the many, many, many people who struggle to “get it”. It’s not just a matter of teachers, or approach. It’s the same way with most subjects, math is no exception. Some people take to foreign languages and “see” right away, others learn it with much effort, and others struggle. Some people learn to read almost without realizing it and others are still struggling with “what animal do we have in our class, his name starts with B-U-N…? Alex and Sam both have this animal, a D-O-G…” with words both spelled out aloud and written on the board, and in 2nd grade (and this is a real-life example). </p>
<p>I’ve seen how math in taught in K-12 in Europe, and it’s no better than in the US, if not worse. I’m actually more shocked by the way social studies/history is taught in K-8 in the US than by the way math is taught.</p>
<p>None of this helps OP, by the way, but fortunately it looks like we’re discussing among ourselves at this point.</p>
<p>If the OP is still following, it is often the case that strengthening the parts of math that are normally covered in “pre-algebra” can help a lot to make people more comfortable with using math in the context of algebra and later math topics. So, that would be things like understanding the relationships between division, fractions, decimals, percents, and ratios. Using Khan Academy, Kumon, community college, your college math resources, or whatever, try to get comfortable with those things.</p>
<p>Everyone hits a point where math is “real work” and requires effort. It’s at different points for different people, depending on a lot of factors. That’s OK. You know it will take effort, so you can plan for that.</p>
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<p>This poster has posted this same OPINION whenever this subject has come up. In fact, she says that nothing is taught correctly on the United States. That is her opinion…it is not necessarily fact.</p>
<p>OP, I tutor math, and have taught Algebra I in the classroom recently. Some people are better/quicker at math than others, but with practice, you can increase your skills and speed. Many students have holes in their fundamentals, and that slows them down. I recommend old-fashioned math drills/courses/textbooks, and second the recommendation for Saxon Math. Get a (free) Saxon Math placement test online and see where you stand. The Saxon 8/7 textbook would give you a thorough review of pre-Algebra–and so on (Algebra 1/2, Algebra I, Geometry, etc. not sure where you left off). These textbooks continuously reinforce material from previous lessons so you don’t forget it. They are organized in a simple, logical way so you can teach yourself. Another possibility: Great Courses has “Mastering the Fundamentals of Mathematics” and other high school math video courses (thru Calculus), on DVD with practice books to go with them. (Regular price is a bit much, but you can usually find them on sale or used–and cheaper than a tutor.)
A lot of people who say they are bad at math have just reached a point where they have to work harder at it. Students start taking shortcuts, skipping lessons/problems, and then fail to master skills. Start at a lower level where things are somewhat easy for you and gain confidence/speed before moving up. Do all the problems. Practice mental math. Don’t depend on a calculator for simple operations. The number one problem I see with Algebra students is that kids don’t know their multiplication tables!–yeah, they understand the concept and can figure them out with a guess or two, but that doesn’t cut it–if they don’t know this stuff automatically–as fast as they can write/speak, with 100% accuracy, backwards, inside-out, standing on their heads, in their sleep–they don’t have it “memorized.” (I always tell my students, “tattoo this on your brain. . .” --I’ll probably be mumbling things like “y=mx + b” on my deathbed.) Another issue is students not noticing when an answer doesn’t make sense (like getting an answer that is way too high/low, decimal in wrong place, sign wrong, etc.) Some students are just pressing buttons on a calculator without even thinking.</p>
<p>Many people do find math tedious. If you look at a whole textbook (120-140 lessons), it might seem crushingly boring and impossible to finish. If you get frustrated/stressed just looking at a page of 30 problems, one strategy is to narrow your vision. Forget about the “forest”–think about each “tree” (problem). Do one. Do one. Do one. I’ve observed that above average/methodical students are often more successful than brilliant/impatient ones–because they take the “one tree at a time” approach. And students who are really slow at math (besides having to correct arithmetic errors, or look up stuff they should have memorized. . .) are often wasting time in-between problems (daydreaming, worrying if the answer to the previous problem is wrong, thinking about how much they hate math, getting snacks, texting their friends to complain about math homework, etc.) instead of quickly moving from one problem to the next. Not saying OP does this, but something to watch out for. When students say they spend 2 or 3 hours on one homework lesson, they should check how much of that time is spent on other things besides math, and try to work more efficiently.</p>
<p>MiamiDap. I owe you an apology. I was in a bad mood and was a bit harsh in my criticism and wording. Thus, I regret my comment about your statements.</p>
<p>About some people being bad at math, I think it’s a function of not understanding the basics at some point.
Since math is cumulative and each higher subject is dependent on a solid previous understanding of past year’s courses, it certainly could affect their performance without being “bad at math” per se.</p>
<p>This discussion happens over and over, with the same poster spewing the ill conceived opinion that everyone has the same innate abilities if they were only blessed to have been taught by good, non US teachers, they’d express these innate skills. Its hogwash. </p>
<p>I was taught math by good non-US teachers in a good non-US school, and we all stratified into great or useless at math, with every level in between. I never understood anything of abstract mathematics, but I am pretty good at calculation. When I meet American colleagues I never presume they will all be useless at math, in fact they usually seem pretty well-trained and competent. </p>
<p>Yes, I agree 100%, "they’re smart but something “blocks”, " - This something are bad teachers. Exactly correct, different kids absorb material differently, good teacher should be able to find the way to explain math, which is NOT the hardest at all, to absolutely every single kid. The kids with disabilities cannot pull the whole class down the level though. The fact is that a math teacher should have a degree in math, it should be the case for teaching after 4th grade, because if serious math teaching does not accur at this point, then HS constitutes “too little, too late” situation, which is exactly the case in American HS, and much more for physics than math. Thr ridiculous idea that physics could be taught in one year simply does not work and a good teacher will realize that and adjust. </p>
<p>@atomom - I can tell you that last term, I had a statistics class, and I was only working on my Stats homework (between 35-50 questions) one question at a time, and it was taking me 4-5 hours a day. It was my part-time job. I found that my problems were that the professor didn’t understand the questions I asked, his answers relied too much on technology (here’s an Excel table you can use with formulas built in…) and so I wasn’t understanding the concept enough to apply it when the question was presented differently or asking for a different piece of information. It had nothing to do with not being efficient, it had to do with not understanding how to solve the problems and not getting helpful answers from my professor. Also, our homework was graded but we got no feedback so I couldn’t figure out where I was making a mistake. It made for a very stressful term. </p>
<p>Contrast that with my A in Algebra a few years ago - the teacher walked through each step of every problem, in words and in examples. We went over our homework together in class, and so if I made a mistake and got the problem wrong, I could see where my mistake was and correct it, which helped me do better on future problems. </p>
<p>(I’m an adult student, I had to pay my own way through college many years ago and ran out of money after a year, so I’m back and almost done. In my experience, when you’re struggling with higher concepts of math, it’s best to use a calculator for things like multiplication, because then you don’t waste time making mistakes on things that aren’t germane to the concept you are trying to learn.)</p>
<p>Give it a break Miami. My kid didn’t even take calculus in high school…perish the thought! And somehow she managed to get a degree in engineering. She even says…her best math teachers were in the applied higher level courses in college…not in elementary school.</p>
<p>And again…there are students with disabilities in the math area. I agree that their teachers need to teach to their skills and I orive upon them, but some of them might never excel in math. And surprise some will be very successful adults regardless.</p>
<p>You have made it abundantly clear in all of your posts over many years that you really are disgusted with the quality of public education…and your own daughter went to a private school. That is fine for you…but you do need to understand, not everyone shares your narrow opinion of education in this country.</p>