‘Mum, Dad, that’s not how we do it at school’ [timesonline.co.uk]
- Published: 17 May 2010
Are you ready for a maths test? A ten-year-old girl asks for help with her maths homework. Which of these would you be able to explain to her? (1) Number bonds; (2) Partitioning; (3) Division by chunking; (4) A Carroll Diagram; (5) The grid method.
That’s it, test over. How did you do? If you struggled, don’t worry, you are not alone. The vast majority of adults in Britain would score zero in this test. It’s not that we are innumerate but, as any parent will know, the methods and language used to teach maths in primary schools have changed. All the terminology in the test above will be familiar to a primary school teacher but for most of us — including me until my daughter started school — it is gobbledegook.
Full Story: www.timesonline.co.uk
