WBecause the school do a horrible work regarding to this. In school, children are taught that math is how fast you can do computations in your head, understanding what addition, subtraction, multiplication and division means and memorizing multiplication tables. This all is very dull, and away from what mathematics really is.
Some children develop a hate to mathematics because this is all what they think mathematics is. For someone like me, who has a mild Dyscalculia (not diagnosed though), elementary school math can be a devastating experience. Mainly because all the school can offer is arithmetic, and later years a peek into algebra. We are brainwashed that if you don't understand numbers, you're universally bad at math. And if you suck at something, you'll end up hating it. It took a while for me to realize that arithmetic is just a part of mathematics - not the real thing. Mathematics is problem solving, proofing your solutions and manipulating symbols - all the things I never sucked at, but was never able to use those in elementary school. Thanks to programming, I can do all the things without even thinking of dull number arithmetic - computers are made for that.
Schools play an important role in children's lives. Children go there to learn - it's a learning facility. That's why I'm always stunned how badly schools really do their thing: teach. For some children, this really works; they do learn what they are taught - or do they? I think this is just an illusion and deeper learning is not happening in schools, that is why most elementary swotters just fail in university level.
Written 28 Oct, 2014. 477 views.
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