Blonde Highlights

This story appeared in The Toledo Blade on Friday it came from a New York Times article.  But here’s the deal, it explains how story problems in math classes don’t really teach kids anything. They don’ t really help students learn math. I think this falls under the category of we could have told them this. Right? Anyone with me?

As an adult I am reasonably awful at math but that wasn’t always the case. I took honors math all the way through 10th grade. But when I finished the math requirement I was out of there.. no more math for me. Back then I HATED story problems or word problems. I could do the standard abstract math fine and then they’d ask me to calculate when the train was going to ram into the station or how many orange slices the train could cut an apple into and I’d be stumped.

The theory used to be that the “real world” applications of cutting an apple in half and giving it to 3/4 of a person would help you learn math concepts. But it was fine, I graduated high school and college and my story problem days were over. Plus I’m a journalist, no math to worry about whatsoever careerwise this was a smart move for me: math-free journalism.

Then of course the minute you think you’re free of story problems you become a parent of a fourth grade child who needs help with the math homework. My husband took that area of parenting over after he saw me grab chunks of my hair and yell “IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHEN THE TRAIN IS SUPPOSE TO LEAVE AND ARRIVE AT THE STATION GET A SCHEDULE AND LOOK IT UP MRS. CRABAPPLE!!!” I was yelling this to an innocent worksheet mind you.

Now according to the New York Times article and researchers at Ohio State it turns out the theory of using real world applications is just that, a theory. People thought it would help you learn math. They didn’t have proof of this when they inserted it into math curriculums back in the free-wheeling 1960s.  And after some research… it doesn’t! Recent data shows story problems just confuse the issue. Researcher found that kids are sitting in class pondering what color the trains are and forgetting how to do the actual math.

The study even says the benefits of things like “manipulatives” are also un tested when it comes to teaching the smallest kids begining math. Again, didn’t you already suspect this when you had a kid in first grade?

One of my kids spent the entire first grade stacking little blocks and then drawing them and then coloring them. We called it “art math.” This was all in an effort to learn addition.  On one test the teacher asked the students to explain how they arrived at the answer to the problem 8-2=6.  My child responded, “My brain told me it was the right answer.” Although the math problem was answered correctly the kid only received half credit because the explaination was deemed wrong.

And teachers I’m not criticizing you! These were and are the accepted theories and a teacher  has to do SO MUCH when it comes to helping a kid get math. Any person who has the patience to spend hours and hours with 9 year olds and can inspire them succeed in math has my admiration. Most of the teachers we have encountered are real heroes to me and the kids. I couldn’t do it.  So remember it’s not the teachers I’m kvetching about here, it’s the story problems and manipulatives. We just don’t get along.

The study doesn’t say get rid of story problems or “manipulatives” when it comes to learning it just says there isn’t any real research to suggest those actually help teach math. Cleary the study comes too late for my children and me but maybe if I’m lucky enough to become a grandparent I won’t have to help the little tykes figure out how to cut appples with a train that leaves the station traveling at 45 mph.

And by the way just a hello from the AWOL me. I am working a different schedule to fill in for Kristian Brown during her maternity leave. This is leaving me less time to blog but I do appreciate people checking in here as I juggle this little change.