Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Jo Boaler - Memorization and eighth grade algebra

I've been thinking a lot about this article that came out recently:

http://hechingerreport.org/memorizers-are-the-lowest-achievers-and-other-common-core-math-surprises/

Its not so much been the contention that memorizing is less useful than conceptual understanding but the further step argued that

"Some school districts, such as San Francisco Unified, are trying to slow down the math experience, requiring that advanced students go deeper rather than faster. Students still reach calculus but the pathway to calculus consists of deep understanding rather than procedures and memorization. This is an important move. There is no harm in students being introduced to higher-level mathematics earlier, as long as the mathematics is enjoyable and ideas can be explored deeply. Third graders can be fascinated by the notion of infinity, or the fourth dimension, but they do not need a race through procedural presentations of mathematics."

What this means in practice is SFUSD is forcing everyone to delay algebra until 9th grade and detracking at the same time.

I think in general Boaler fails to connect whether students taking Algebra earlier are conceptually weaker than their ninth grade counterparts or prove that advanced students gain anything from lingering in pre-algebra beyond just asserting that it can be "deeper".

Thankfully this is not our district but I worry that the trend will spread.

From the article: "New brain science tells us that no one is born with a math gift or a math brain and that all students can achieve in math with the right teaching and messages. The classrooms that produce high achieving students are those in which students work on deep, rich mathematics through tasks that they can take to any level they want. No one is told what level they can reach and no one is held back by narrow questions that limit students’ mathematical development and creativity."

No one is born with a math "gift?" I would beg to differ...

This is the same woman who doesn't think that kids don't need to memorize their multiplication tables so I can't really take her seriously.

The problem is that some people will take her seriously and think that gifted kids do not need anything 'special'. I googled Jo Boaler and "gifted children" and found this http://giftedexchange.blogspot.com/2007/10/does-ability-grouping-harm-students.html

She also has a new book out (which was mentioned in the article), a website (Youcubed)and a "how to Learn Math" mooc for students and parent/teachers. Some people are bound to pay attention.

When I look at the test scores for our state mandated end of course test for Algebra 1, the kids who take it in 8th grade (15-20% of kids in my district) or 7th grade (1-2% of kids) significantly outperform those who take it in high school. Clearly they aren't harmed by taking the class earlier. They do well because in general they are better at math than kids who take it later.

The story I heard about SF schools and why they are eliminated math tracking is different. It's that because the district doesn't have the money to test and evaluated all of their students for advanced math placement into the new Common Core standards. It's SF deciding that given their budget they would rather make the smart kids retake classes than have kids who fall through the cracks. (I don't like it or think it's right but from what I heard last fall it's not about math ideology.) But I'm not surprised to hear someone is trying rationalize it a different way. There are a lot of very unhappy parents and teachers out there and private H.S. in the area are very hard to get into this year.

I'm torn. I think what she says may be true for the middle 50% of kids, and any change that helps half of all kids is worth taking seriously. The problem is that it's somewhat untrue for everyone outside the middle, and harmful to the group on this board.

There needs to be a greater acceptance that it is ok for kids to be different. My kids' love for math really shouldn't feel like a threat, any more than your kid's soccer ability is a threat, and it's just as wrong to coach them the same in math as it would be in soccer.

memorising how to do a calculation without understanding is a problem if you do advanced maths (not a given here). Memorising times tables once you get the concept is very useful.

And what that really means is that parents with the means and motivation to do so will have their capable children taught algebra before 9th grade, while the children without such parents are out of luck.

My wife has told me that "everyone is sending their children to Russian School of Math" (a math afterschool in our town). Although not literally true, it is close to true for her social circle.

From the RSM site:
Chinese parents create their own afterschools (there is an active one in our town), and many of them are mathematicians, engineers, and scientists well qualified to teach algebra classes. They will not let the public schools retard the progress of their children.

"New brain science tells us that no one is born with a math gift or a math brain"

I can't even...what is this...I can't even...

"New brain science tells us no one is born with a musical gift"

"New brain science tells us no one is born with an artistic gift"

"New brain science tells us no one is born with an athletic gift"


UH HUH OKAY