Andrew Hacker: Is Algebra Necessary? (PUUUUUUUUKE)

[pnwmom]

6. Maybe. But students who don't tackle those subjects may be shutting doors prematurely.

I don't think the reason Canadians and South Koreans do so much better at math is because they're more intelligent. It's because they've learned to put the practice in -- they believe success at math is related to time and effort rather than natural ability; and so their students learn to persevere.

One of my children told me, after retaking a calculus class and doing very well, that he'd finally realized that learning calculus was simply a matter of cranking out enough problems; the more he did, the more he understood the concept.

I do understand that some fraction of people may be learning disabled with regard to math; but I think a much larger group have learned to avoid math because someone gave them the idea that if they didn't immediately "get" the concepts, they weren't "good at math." Many people are like my son: they don't feel like "math geniuses" but they can become good at math simply by practicing it enough.