At one time, only those students planning to attend college took advanced math classes. Now all students, whether they plan to attend college or not, are increasingly required to take advanced math classes. This step may help move American students closer to other students around the world who consistently have higher math scores than their U.S. counterparts. Memorizing oodles of principles without the subsequent employment of the techniques is of little value to students. Students may then know what a percent is, but not know how to figure the interest rate on their first car loan.
Youths use math every day without thinking about it.
By reinforcing kids' daily activities that unknowingly use math, from figuring the batting average of a baseball player to determining how much memory their new computer game will use, kids can apply their education and make smarter decisions. It is crucial that math textbooks teach children the concepts so they can balance their own checkbook, invest in the stock market or comparison shop for a variety of products and services. Nearly half of the textbooks reviewed by the American Association for the Advancement of Science were judged inadequate. None were rated excellent. The study, financed by the Carnegie Foundation, called on schools choosing educational materials to concentrate on how algebra is taught and for textbook writers to update their methods.