This story appeared in The Toledo Blade on Friday it came from a New York Times article. But here’s the deal, it explains how story problems in math classes don’t really teach kids anything. They don’ t really help students learn math. I think this falls under the category of we could have told them this. Right? Anyone with me?
As an adult I am reasonably awful at math but that wasn’t always the case. I took honors math all the way through 10th grade. But when I finished the math requirement I was out of there.. no more math for me. Back then I HATED story problems or word problems. I could do the standard abstract math fine and then they’d ask me to calculate when the train was going to ram into the station or how many orange slices the train could cut an apple into and I’d be stumped.
The theory used to be that the “real world” applications of cutting an apple in half and giving it to 3/4 of a person would help you learn math concepts. But it was fine, I graduated high school and college and my story problem days were over. Plus I’m a journalist, no math to worry about whatsoever careerwise this was a smart move for me: math-free journalism.
Then of course the minute you think you’re free of story problems you become a parent of a fourth grade child who needs help with the math homework. My husband took that area of parenting over after he saw me grab chunks of my hair and yell “IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHEN THE TRAIN IS SUPPOSE TO LEAVE AND ARRIVE AT THE STATION GET A SCHEDULE AND LOOK IT UP MRS. CRABAPPLE!!!” I was yelling this to an innocent worksheet mind you.
Now according to the New York Times article and researchers at Ohio State it turns out the theory of using real world applications is just that, a theory. People thought it would help you learn math. They didn’t have proof of this when they inserted it into math curriculums back in the free-wheeling 1960s. And after some research… it doesn’t! Recent data shows story problems just confuse the issue. Researcher found that kids are sitting in class pondering what color the trains are and forgetting how to do the actual math.
The study even says the benefits of things like “manipulatives” are also un tested when it comes to teaching the smallest kids begining math. Again, didn’t you already suspect this when you had a kid in first grade?
One of my kids spent the entire first grade stacking little blocks and then drawing them and then coloring them. We called it “art math.” This was all in an effort to learn addition. On one test the teacher asked the students to explain how they arrived at the answer to the problem 8-2=6. My child responded, “My brain told me it was the right answer.” Although the math problem was answered correctly the kid only received half credit because the explaination was deemed wrong.
And teachers I’m not criticizing you! These were and are the accepted theories and a teacher has to do SO MUCH when it comes to helping a kid get math. Any person who has the patience to spend hours and hours with 9 year olds and can inspire them succeed in math has my admiration. Most of the teachers we have encountered are real heroes to me and the kids. I couldn’t do it. So remember it’s not the teachers I’m kvetching about here, it’s the story problems and manipulatives. We just don’t get along.
The study doesn’t say get rid of story problems or “manipulatives” when it comes to learning it just says there isn’t any real research to suggest those actually help teach math. Cleary the study comes too late for my children and me but maybe if I’m lucky enough to become a grandparent I won’t have to help the little tykes figure out how to cut appples with a train that leaves the station traveling at 45 mph.
And by the way just a hello from the AWOL me. I am working a different schedule to fill in for Kristian Brown during her maternity leave. This is leaving me less time to blog but I do appreciate people checking in here as I juggle this little change.
15 Comments
Math is hard. And word problems just plain suck big rotten moldy potatoes. If an automated camera swings around from pointing at Jay, busts a wheel and topples over, how long does Jeff have to jump out of the way? I don’t care, just friggin’ jump, Jeff!
Not to worry about silences in your blogging, Ms. Regnier. (The Kristian Brown business) + (May sweeps) = (No sleep for all y’all!)
Thank you for the understanding!
As someone who does math for a living I have to say that I never minded the story problems (actually, my job is to do inverse story problems–I have to take the numbers and make them tell a story!. That said, I think that how my kids learned math has become to theoretical–one of my kids wasn’t required to memorize times tables; he needed to know the idea behind them. Huh? They said that learning times tables was merely memorization. Um, ok. It still works when you’re trying to figure out how much 4 of something at $3 will be.
Dealing w/this current story problem in our household: how many missing homework assignments does it take to flunk algebra? The answer is “not many”.
See you Wednesday (?).
LOL Phyllis.
since writing is also part of my job, it would pay to learn how to spell (or maybe type)…
should have read “too theoretical”
Hello from a mom of a current fourth grader! I agree wholeheartedly about the whole story problem, “new” math brouhaha. And, did you know that the definition of “polygon” has seemingly changed since 1979 (when I was in the fourth grade)?! No longer is a polygon a geometrical shape with five or more sides; the new definition is “a plane figure with at least THREE sides and angles, but TYPICALLY FIVE.” What the …? I am SO confused … and my son thinks I’m a lunatic for screaming at his worksheets too. I’m carrying the torch for you, RR.
Hey Leasa!! I can relate to your pain. And did you know that some countries don’t believe there are 7 continents? Totally rocked my world too. Some countries teach 5 continents. Blew my mind.
It’s funny you mention this. I showed this article to the kids in my current events class I teach at a high school in Henry County and all the kids began questioning their entire math education. I then showed the article to the head of the math department who had been at the school for 30+ years (and teaches very traditionally) and her exact words were “our math department has finally been validated!” It’s interesting to listen to the high school math departments bicker about what the elementary teachers are doing with math. My advice, never mention lattice multiplication to a high school math teacher…they might reach out and slap you. I guess it’s a good thing I decided to teach social studies…
Hey BRY! I think I would love teaching social studies!
God help the Math Teacher, what a job that would be.
OMG thank you for posting this, even though I’m just seeing it now. I had to help my 5th grader this evening with multiplying and dividing fractions—–crap, I don’t remember how to do that! Here goes….as I’m dividing my daughter says “i dont even know what your doing, I didnt learn that way” Ummmmm yeah I know, this is the way I learned LOL I have NO IDEA the verbiage they are using or method now, because it is FOR SURE WAY DIFFERENT!!!
P.S. we skipped the 2 story problems cuz they didn’t make an ounce of sense. Let’s hope she gets the rest right
How many days left til summer????
Uh Oh … I’m the lone freak on this one. I have always loved story problems. My mind just works better knowing the story behind the problem. C’mon, I’m a rocket scientist. I’ve had to figure out how to position a satellite with respect to the moon to launch a probe to Mars. A train pulling out of a station….bring it on!
I am what you’d call a math geek. Still in highschool, I’ve taken at least one math class a year, sometimes as many as three. I COMPLETELY agree with this. Just give me the damn numbers and let me get on with my life. Last night a friend of mine gave me a story problem: “You have 5 apples and six kids, how do you split the apples amongst the kids?” You send one to time out, and give the other five apples to the other kids. Problem solved, almost no math needed.
LMAO Aaron!
Angie I don’t know if Rocket Scientists were included in the sample cause that would have totally thrown it off!
Cheryl - we’re twins.
And Aaron that was awesome. Totally funny.
Ugh. You know we’re just STARTING the mathiness at my house. It is a strength for neither of us. We. Are. Flucked.
Also…I’ve been an AWOL blogger somewhat too and I don’t even have as good an excuse. Little bit of burnout. Must take some time to rejuvenate the funny.
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