Philosophy of Math Education

 Andrew Stutts

Learning math is a dynamic and interactive process.

           Math is an essential and enduring life skill. Children should be convinced of this fact and instruction tailored with this goal in mind.  Furthermore, they need math problems that are applicable to the world around them, have relevance to life and make real connections for them.  For example, when working with the metric system, bring in objects that weigh a kilogram or are a meter long.  In this way, they will be able to see the importance of learning math skills rather than just doing them on paper. 

            Learning math is a dynamic and interactive process.  Students need hands-on activities as well as skill development.  Manipulatives that pertain to the lesson are particularly useful to aid children in visualizing the concepts they are learning.  When working with fractions, fraction circles build the comprehension of the value of pieces in their minds.  This definitely incorporates the approach of properly sequencing the teaching of a new concept.  Start with the solid hands-on ideas and then move to a bridging activity that leads to the final abstract concepts.  I feel students taught in this manner will learn the material holistically and are more likely to succeed.