Roger Shoaf wrote:
"Hawke" wrote in message
...

What I'm saying is that the people with ability at math aren't

"struggling"

with it. They're naturally good at it.

(...)

Math is difficult for some because they get lost in the symbols and formulas
that are substitutes for things in real life.

As an example when you ask what do you have to add to 10 to get 15 most can
easily grasp the question and give you the correct answer. But when you ask
them to solve for n where 10 + n = 15, they get lost because they are
convinced that algebra is hard.

They are convinced because we convinced them.

The paradigm needs to shift. We refuse to provide students with
reasons why 'Numeracy is a Good Thing' (TM) at an age that is appropriate.
Before the age of 12, most students are largely incapable of abstract thought (1)

I infer this means there will always be students left confused and frustrated
by their inability to grasp math subjects. They simply haven't yet developed
the necessary brain hardware to relate a 'law' to a given situation or even
substitute a value for a symbol, as you mentioned. They do have the necessary
capacity to remember that math is cryptic, opaque and frustrating however.

This is the lesson we inadvertently teach.





(1) (Piaget, 1960)

--Winston