Mathematics/Mathematical Abil... Health Article

Mathematics/Mathematical Ability

Study of numbers and their operations.

Skill with mathematics is as important as literacy for daily living. Mathematics are used daily—to keep score in sports, to calculate the amount of change due when making a purchase, to measure a room for wallpapering, etc. While most parents find it enjoyable to read with their young children, few would describe sharing math experiences in the same positive terms. Social scientists report that Americans are the only citizens of developed nations that describe themselves as "not good at math," and point to supporting evidence from standardized tests administered worldwide—U.S. students rank below those of many other nations in math proficiency.

In 1989, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM, founded in 1920) issued "Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics" establishing a plan for mathematics education reform in the

elementary grades. "Professional Standards for Teaching Mathematics" followed in 1991, offering ways mathematics teachers can create an effective learning environment and establishing standards for evaluation. In 1995, "Assessment Standards for School Mathematics" was published to provide criteria for judging the quality of mathematics assessment.

These three documents propose a mathematics curriculum with the following features:

• More extensive study of mathematical ideas and concepts and their uses in today's world;
• Learning that shifts toward more active student involvement with mathematics, including mathematical problems that relate to their world, and the use of a variety of mathematical tools for solving those problems;
• Creating classrooms that are stimulating learning environments in which all students have the opportunity to reach their full mathematical potential;
• Assessment practices that shift toward student evaluations that are continuous and based on many sources.

The standards proposed by the NCTM state that children will:

• Be engaged in discovering mathematics, not just doing problems in a book;
• Have the opportunity to explore, investigate, estimate, question, predict, and test their ideas about math;
• Explore and develop understanding for math concepts using materials they can touch and feel, either natural or manufactured;
• Be guided by the teacher in learning (i.e., the teacher will not dictate how mathematics problems must be solved);
• Have many opportunities to look at math in terms of daily life and to see the connections among math topics such as between geometry and numbers.

In June 1997, President Bill Clinton held a Rose Garden ceremony at the White House to recognize the improvement in U.S. fourth-graders' ranking among their peers around the world in math and science, based on results from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). U.S. fourth graders averaged 63% correct answers to the items on the test, compared to 59% average correct for the students from all 26 countries who took the test. Results from the eighth-grade TIMSS were released in November 1996: U.S. eighth graders averaged 80% correct answers, compared to 83% for eight graders from 41 countries who took the test. The ranking of U.S. fourth graders was 11th out of 26, and U.S. eighth graders ranked 28th out of 41. The accompanying table lists the rankings for TIMSS. In 1998-99, further results from TIMSS are scheduled to be released, including information on teaching techniques, use of calculators for math computation, and other educational practices worldwide. By examining the teaching strategies used in those countries where students outperform U.S. students in math, educators and curriculum development specialists may be able to address areas of weakness in American classrooms.

President Bill Clinton's education agenda presented during his 1997 "State of the Union" address called for all students to master challenging mathematics, including the foundations of algebra and geometry, by the end of eighth grade.

To succeed in higher level mathematics, and even to solve complex problems encountered in daily life, students must acquire the skills necessary to use mathematics with ease. Students must master procedures (addition and division, for example), but they must also understand the problem-solving strategies that apply to mathematical procedures and concepts. Effective school curricula are designed to build student's critical, creative, and logical problem-solving abilities. The National Commission on Teaching and America's Future made this strong statement in its report, What Matters Most, "Today's society has little room for those who cannot read, write, and compute proficiently."

Parents can support the development of math skills by making math a family activity, much the same as reading. Opportunities for math practice include adding prices while shopping, calculating the amount of discount of sale items, calculating the price per ounce of grocery items, and practicing estimating the temperature in Celsius when hearing the weather report. While traveling, devise "mental math" games that the family can play together. Use the clock to give practice in addition and working with fractions.

When parents express positive attitudes toward math—and avoid making negative observations about the subject—they are helping their children to keep an open willingness to succeed in math. Even when a parent feels unable to help with math homework, he or she should avoid expressions of failure or inability. By helping the child construct strategies for getting help—using the school's tutoring center or asking the teacher for extra help—the parent is showing the child that math is a subject that can be tackled, and that there are pathways to success.