Few states have retained reform curriculums long enough to judge their effectiveness, but Nancy Buell insists that if students are taught properly, math proficiency will flow easily from their experiences. Some new evidence comes from Professor James Stigler of the University of California and Professor James Hiebert of the University of Delaware, who videotaped American and Japanese classes. But Ms. Buell is unusual in this country, and odds are against American schools copying her techniques. It takes more training than most of our teachers have, and more time for planning than our schools allow. In the hands of poorly trained teachers, nontraditional methods can cause children to get neither basics nor understanding.
Japanese teachers spend less time teaching and more time meeting to compare strategies.
But in learning math, a straight line may not always be the best path between two points.