What's Important in Math Programs in a Changing World?

All young Americans must learn to think mathematically, and they must think mathe-
matically to learn.
National Research Council (2001). Adding It Up:
Helping Children Learn Mathematics. (p. 1),

Technology has mathematized the workplace and society. An individual must know and be able
to apply substantially more mathematics in order to be a literate worker and citizen. Thus,
school mathematics programs are being examined in terms of their content and emphasis by most
developed nations. While some traditional content remains important, this content is no longer
sufficient to meet students’ future needs. We will highlight some key aspects of change.

• The curriculum is broad, including in-depth work with geometry, measurement, data analysis,
probability, and number sense. Research on children’s learning also provides guidance on ap-
propriate ways of emphasizing algebraic reasoning at all levels. It continues to emphasize
important ideas of number, which is the foundation on which other areas build. Thus, your
child’s curriculum goes beyond the four operations, while not ignoring important topics.

• Basic skills are still emphasized and careful attention is given to learning facts, paper and
pencil computation, and estimation and mental arithmetic. There is greater attention to devel-
oping understanding, learning effective computational strategies, and developing the mathe-
matical foundations of computation. Thus, basic facts and written computation receive care-
ful attention, although with different approaches than we experienced. While the work at
times may appear to be different, the goals are unchanged.

• Strong emphasis is placed on developing mathematics in an in-depth manner. It is no longer

sufficient for students to just know rules and formulas. Teachers now probe deeper to stretch
the thinking of all students and develop greater understanding. In the example below which
occurred in a sixth grade classroom, the teacher chose to challenge students’ thinking. Her
work lead students to a deeper knowledge of the mathematics and sense of participating in an
important mathematical discussion.

Students were asked how to change a percent to a fraction. One stu-

dent’s response was the familiar rule, “drop the percent sign and
write the number over 100,” giving the example 22% = 22/100.
The teacher decided to push further, asking what would happen if
the percent were 22 1/2%. Students suggested two ways: 22 1/2% =
22 1/2/100 and 22 1/2% = 22.5/100.

The students were uncomfortable with these ‘fractions’ as they

weren’t in conventional form. One student then suggested multi-
plying the numerator and denominator by 10 and getting 225/1000.
Another student suggesting doubling the numerator and denomina-
tor (22.5/100 = 45/200). This was followed by two explanations of
how 45/200 could be simplified to 9/40; one method used prime
factorization.
• Mathematical problem solving is ongoing in classrooms. Problems are sometimes used to
introduce new content; challenging problems are used to help students extend their knowl-
edge. An important part of problem solving is having students share their strategies, which
are then discussed by the class under the teacher’s guidance. This helps students develop a
repertoire of important ways of attacking problems and to view a problem from several per-
spectives. It also helps students realize that problem solving is essential to knowing mathe-
matics and allows them to use their knowledge in applied situations.

• Classrooms look different. The teacher may be working with the whole class, but often stu-
dents are also actively engaged in discussing mathematics and solving problems in small
groups. The teacher still directs the work and conducts ‘seminars’ in which ideas are dis-
cussed, pulled together, and developed further. While students work in small groups, teachers
are assessing student thinking and use that knowledge in the seminars. Having students share
and discuss ideas and write about their work has been shown to promote greater learning and
retention at all levels.

This article has introduced important ideas in teaching and learning mathematics. It is the first in
a series of articles on school mathematics programs. The purpose is to help parents learn more
about their children’s math programs. Your support is crucial as schools move forward in pre-
paring students for a changing world. Teachers also must be supported as they implement
teaching strategies that provide stronger mathematics programs.

Dr. Trafton is a mathematics facilitator in The Winnetka Public Schools. Support for this article is provided by the
Winnetka Public Schools Foundation.

Dr. Trafton has a national reputation for his leadership in school mathematics through his work in teacher education
programs, involvement in professional organizations, presentations at the national, state, and local levels and nu-
merous publications on teaching and learning mathematics. Recently he has co-authored two books (Learning
Through Problems: Number Sense and Computational Strategies and Little Kids – Powerful Problem Solvers: Math
Stories from a Kindergarten Classroom) that document children’s learning in primary classrooms.