Math was never my strong suit. I realize that admitting this is a bit of a taboo in today’s growth-oriented society, but it’s the truth. Growing up in the ’70s and ’80s, we didn’t have the contemporary approaches to learning that emphasize a growth mindset. You either excelled at math or you didn’t, and, unfortunately, I fell into the latter category.
Fast forward to today, and I’m a parent of four, with three of my kids enrolled in Florida public schools where they are tackling math the “new way.” You might think I’d resent the current teaching methods, especially since they can seem overly complex to my Generation X mind. The various boxes, hash marks, and intricate steps in those endless word problems can be quite daunting. I often find myself asking, what exactly is an array? Or an “addition sentence”? The question that gets me the most is when they ask, “Explain how you arrived at this answer.” I mean, can’t I just say, “I did the math”?
However, I’ve come to realize that I don’t actually dislike “new math.” As someone who has always struggled with numbers, I appreciate the effort to break down concepts and teach math in a way that could genuinely help children understand its principles. In my school days, I memorized formulas, and if I forgot one, I was lost. My kids, on the other hand, seem to grasp these new techniques, even when they leave me scratching my head in confusion.
Just last week, I visited my second grader’s classroom to conduct a Math Superstars enrichment lesson. After presenting a word problem, I summarized how to find the answer. A little boy raised his hand and said, “Mrs. Carter, I did it differently,” and he proceeded to explain his unique method of grouping numbers, arriving at the same solution. I would never have thought of that approach, but it was equally valid. In another instance, I attempted to guide a child through a word problem, but he was already busy sketching circles and hash marks on the board and managed to write the correct answer before I could even begin. This kind of creativity and confidence with numbers is something I would have found unattainable at his age, yet for him and his peers, it’s the norm. I can’t help but wonder how this mindset might influence their approach to learning, not just in math but across all subjects, now and in the future.
Most parents I know are critical of Common Core, and new math is often seen as its troublesome offspring. While I have reservations about certain elements of Common Core, particularly the excessive high-stakes testing my children face, I don’t believe the standards are entirely bad. After all, they don’t dictate the curriculum itself, and sometimes it actually works. From what I’ve observed, the new math methods are effective. Sure, they don’t resemble the math I learned, but neither does my car’s dashboard or the latest video games. The world evolves, and so should education. Yes, it may be more intricate and require additional effort, but it encourages my children to engage with mathematical concepts in a way I never experienced.
When my child asks for help with homework, I make an effort to assist him. But on occasions when I’m utterly baffled, I don’t hesitate to send the work back to his teacher with a question mark attached. They understand that I’m struggling with “new math,” and that’s perfectly fine. It can be uncomfortable and frustrating for me, sometimes even prompting thoughts of writing one of those viral rants I see online. Yet, my children are navigating this new math landscape quite well, aside from the occasional hiccup or tough day. Ultimately, they are learning math effectively, which, even to my math-challenged mind, adds up.
This article was originally published on November 21, 2012.