Early Maths Myths BUSTED!
Many beliefs people hold about early math have a grain of truth in them, but as a whole are not true—they are largely myths.
Avoiding the Myths and listening to the findings of research and the wisdom of expert practice will serve GROWN UPS and children well.
It is part of our maths culture that being good at maths is synonymous with being quick at retrieving number facts from memory! When we value fast computation (as many classrooms still do because of the political agenda) we discourage many learners including those thinkers who are very important to mathematics. There is plenty of empirical and anecdotal evidence that tells us just how stressful and anxiety-provoking quick maths can be.
We only need to look at the latest headlines:
Research has shown us how to create young children with negative attitudes to mathematics and we seem to be going the right way about it... If we want to create more POSITIVE ATTITUDES and HIGHER ACHIEVEMENT in MATHEMATICS, what better pace to start than with the research.
We no longer need students to compute fast (we have computers to do this) we need learners to think deeply, connect methods, reason and justify. Maths is SO MUCH MORE!
What maths myths frustrate you?
Listen to Francis Su talk about changing perceptions... Here he reminds us that:
- We must rid children of the idea that "some people are maths people and some people aren't!"
- "We don't need better human calculators... we need THINKERS!"
- "We all have the power to flourish through the exercise of mathematics!"
Here are some other ubiquitous MATHS MYTHS that may be negatively affecting many young learners. Avoiding the myths and listening to the findings of research and the wisdom of expert practice will serve both teachers and children well. Teachers of early mathematics have to use the best pedagogical strategies.
Here are some MATHS MYTHS which comrades recently shared on INSTAGRAM and the research underpinning the reality...CLICK ON THE IMAGE for more information.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on MATHS MYTHS. Which ideas resonate with you? What do you disagree with? All views are welcome - post in the comments.
Maths IS Visual. Let’s teach it that way.
Thank you for all you do to support your children's number journey. Thank you for watching and listening.
Love, Janey x
Here are some LINKS to other REFERENCES which may add value to your thinking :
Su, F (2021) Mathematics for Human Flourishing. Yale University Press
Teachers and too much homework contribute to maths anxiety – study