The Fatal Flaws
Carl M. Sherrill identifies the obvious when it comes to helping children learn the basic facts (in fact… anything they are trying to learn!):
Ø Students are pushed into memorizing the facts before they understand the concepts involved.
Ø Children are forced to study too many facts at one time.
Ø Children have too few opportunities to make connections between math and real-world contexts, visual images, and hands-on materials.
Ø Textbooks move too quickly from addition to subtraction and from multiplication to division.
Ø Students are given too little time to master a new strategy before moving on to the next one.
Ø Instruction is not always tailored to individual needs. Some children are bored, while others are overwhelmed.
Ø Not enough time is spent reviewing previously learned facts.
Ø “Drill-and-kill” methods, such as timed drills and endless workbook pages, are tedious, inefficient, and anxiety-provoking.
Carl M. Sherrill identifies the obvious when it comes to helping children learn the basic facts (in fact… anything they are trying to learn!):
Ø Students are pushed into memorizing the facts before they understand the concepts involved.
Ø Children are forced to study too many facts at one time.
Ø Children have too few opportunities to make connections between math and real-world contexts, visual images, and hands-on materials.
Ø Textbooks move too quickly from addition to subtraction and from multiplication to division.
Ø Students are given too little time to master a new strategy before moving on to the next one.
Ø Instruction is not always tailored to individual needs. Some children are bored, while others are overwhelmed.
Ø Not enough time is spent reviewing previously learned facts.
Ø “Drill-and-kill” methods, such as timed drills and endless workbook pages, are tedious, inefficient, and anxiety-provoking.