Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments OMG! Video about Everyday Math and TERC math

Seems in that array example, the teacher is more concerned with the procedure and the kid following the literal instructions. A tool is only as good as the user.

In contrast is the Exeter Academy famed for winning math competitions. They seem to follow he epitome of good investigation + problem solving.

http://www.exeter.edu/academics/72_6540.aspx

ZenScanner,

Have you seen the Beast Academy books? They're from Art of Problem Solving.

They go into depth and are heavy on teaching mental math and on showing patterns in mathematics. Right now they have books for what they call grade 3 -- but don't be fooled by that label. The books are sophisticated and go way, way past any third grade curriculum I've ever encountered.

For example, multiplication (Book 3B) starts with the basics and moves quickly to perfect squares. Then it goes into mental math for squaring numbers and the patterns that exist behind the numbers.

Honestly, I see these books as doing what EM and TERC are trying (but failing) to do. They're focused and move logically from one idea to the next and encourage in-depth understanding at every step of the way.

Oh oh, can I join your club?

Thanks Val for the Beast Academy link. I should look at those; that's really more in the direction I think would be great for my son. At least philosphically, investigations seems a general improvement over the one algorithm fits all approach I grew up with.

True, kcab, may have really been an easily disrupted intuitive ability that would've crumbled under any formalization. And those teacher-approved answers, I so remember my moral outrage that their reason was often "because how would I know you didn't copy the answer."

Thanks for the Beast Academy reference...starting a new thread based upon this recommendation.