The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-29
Daughter Unable
 To Understand Mathematics

sixteen, is in fourth term high school, She is modern girl and healthy. She comes home day after day telling me that it is impossible for her to understand mathematics. Her teacher has told her that when she says she cannot under stand mathema tics, she is saying she is mental deficient. Do you think that was sensible or true? Nt
 cannot understand it, as she has never been left back since she started school, and is good pianist All of her teachers think she is a polite and diligent worker except the mathemat- ics teacher. MRS. l.. NJ. n HERE are three distinct aspects
 to your problem. First, the pe-
 culiar characteristic of mathe- matics itself as school subject. Sec ond, your daughters specific ability in the subject, and third, the attitude of the mathematics teacher.
 Mathematics is unique among school subjects. If your daughter has chanced to neglect her geography dur ing the period when the class was studying South America, that fact is no particular handicap to her later when studying about Asia or Africa. Nor would her failure to master bot any interfere seriously with her later success in zoology. However, in the subject is success so dependent upon the thorough mastery of fundamentals as in mathematics Moreover, mathe- matics is peculiarly difficult subject to teach, requiring native aptitude for the subject, which, unfortunately, is not possessed by all teachers who find it necessary to devote part of their time to teaching mathematics.
 The result of these facts is that many children whose general average of scholarship is satisfactory enough are advanced through the grades in spite of the fact that they have failed somewhere along the line, to prop erly master one or more of the funda- mental processes of addition, subtrac- t1on, multiplication or division. All that. have said so far applies, of course principally to the work of the elementary school. Now when these children enter high school< it is sud denly discovered that they simply cannot do mathmetics." even though they are smart at everything else. And everybody wonders why!
 As to your daughters ability for tnls particular subject, or lack there of, Mrs. M,, l can simply say this While 1t IS of course true that some us are more gifted in one type of mental activity than another, the vast ma aJorlty of us are of fairly even men, tal capacities. - The student who is capable of excellent work in one sub Ject is usually capable of excellent work in all subjects and vice versa. The individual who, although capable enough in most fields, finds it totally impossible. to master mathematics or spelling or what not, is comparatively rare indeed, though l should not wish to be quoted as saying that such in- divudials do not exist.
 As to the teacher, you must remem- Der, Mrs. M., that, in our depart- mental system of teaching. your daughters mathematics teacher is nc qualnted only with her work in mathe- matics. Her record in other subjects IS matter of recorded fact with which this particular instructor is probably not even familiar. Moreover, teaching is mighty nerye-wracking work. and your daughters inability to profit by this teachers instruction has probably been source of no little irritation to her. If you were to have a friendly talk with this woman and call her af. tentlon to your daughters splendid rec ord in other fields and discuss tbis question of her difficulty with her mathematics, I am sure not only that you would find her quick to take a reasonable attitude in the matter but also that your conference with the teacher would have accomplished a great deal toward reestablishing an un- derstanding between teacher and pupil which would do much toward making your daughter more successful in her work.
 Finally. let me say that, in all cases or this character, the one thing that should be done at once is to examine carefully into the individual students Knowledge of the. fundamental arith- metical processes which he or she is supposed to have mastered. And where a weak link in the chain is found, let it be immediately reinforced by com, petent and systematic tutoring,