All this coverage of Betsy DeVos’ confirmation (or not) as Secretary of Education has lots of folks talking–Math.
I failed Algebra in 9th grade, so I have a warm spot in my heart for math/math teaching. I came across this comment on Facebook yesterday…my comments will follow:
“I used a calculator. As everyone should. The modern person is never without one. Especially at work. I have the physical calculator, one on my phone, and the Windows calculator. Kids need to be taught how to survive on their own, and use the tools they are given. Calculator isn’t a dirty word.”
Dr Vince: You are correct, we have calculators everywhere… That so that we can do big calculations quickly
But we still need to know the arithmetic… In fact “arithmetic fluency” is the number one predictor of success…in all areas of life… not just in school/math.
Why? learning arithmetic creates a neurological architecture…that’s part of normal human development. We go from ‘counting on fingers’ to “recall” strategies…to more abstract concepts. Humans can’t learn higher mathematics unless they learn arithmetic.
Lots of educators/administrators try to bypass ‘arithmetic fluency’ by using the calculator argument. That’s like saying, “we have books on tape, they don’t need to learn to read.”
Silly.
Or they try a convoluted approach like Common Core. Nothing wrong with it per se, but they’re trying to teach things earlier and earlier, ignoring the normal human psycho/neurological development. Based on the kids I tutor, they’re about two years out-of-sync, and it’s driving the kids–and teachers–crazy.
First we learn to crawl, then walk, then run, then run fast. That’s the way we’re designed. Skipping any of the steps, going against natural principles/processes, generally leads to disaster…or at least a mess.
That’s why we love the Chiropractic approach: it respects the natural principles/processes that create Health. Keeping the Brain/Body connection clear of interference let’s your natural healing processes work like they are supposed to. Doing the best you can with the tools you’re given.
Dr Vince
PS If things aren’t ‘adding up’ for you, and you can’t figure out what’s causing your Health issues (headaches, asthma/allergies, chronic colds/sinus, digestive problems, sleep, fatigue, mood swings, pain/tension), call for your next appointment and let’s see if we can find the root cause. 706-342-7115