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Friday, 16 November 2012

mental maths - yes or no?


Following my previous post about H's keen interest in maths, I have done some desktop research on the various maths programmes available around KL. I won't be reviewing any of them since I've not personally paid them a visit to find out about their programmes (hence it won't be fair to offer my opinion) but I'll share my perspectives on mental maths / maths enrichment.
There are essentially 2 types of programmes out there - those that teach kids fancy techniques to solve math equations quickly (e.g. abacus, finger counting, vedic), and those that adopt the principle that ‘practice makes perfect’ (e.g. kids are given worksheets during lessons and homework to practise on). Reading off their websites, they all have their own so call unique selling proposition and it’s really quite tempting to enrol H into one of the programmes just to make sure he doesn’t lose out. But taking a step back and my kiasu hat off (I really hate to think of myself as being a kiasu mom), I asked myself “is being able to calculate with lightning speed really necessary?
I am for one hopeless in mental calculation but that has never hindered my ability to deliver my work efficiently. My brain is just too lazy whenever required to calculate, e.g. after meals with friends when we have to split the bill, I’ll wait for someone to tell me how much to pay or simply whip out my phone calculator. So what I’m trying to say is that it’s a nice-to-have skill but not necessarily critical. Unless of course you want to land yourself that highly coveted investment banking job. That is the only time that lightning speed calculation is required (you’re not allowed to use the calculator) to pass those quantitative tests during the interviews. But then again, normally you are still given paper and pen, so as long as you’re not a math retard you should still be able to pass. 
What is more important I feel is comprehension, critical thinking and reasoning skills. After all, we want our kids to be able to solve problems not equations. There’s really no point in knowing how to recognise symbols and solve equations quickly, but not fully understanding the concepts of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.  In the real working world, maths is not about doing sums, it’s about understanding the problem statement and knowing how to apply the right math concepts to solve the problem. Kids can be easily trained to solve equations such as 6+2=8 quickly using abacus, finger counting or other techniques, or simply through practice, practice and more practice! However, solving problems require comprehension and thinking skills. You need to know how to construct the right equations in order to calculate. If you can’t do so, there’s no point in knowing how to calculate quickly. An example of a problem statement is: Jane takes 3 hours to travel and starts off her journey at 5pm. If Jake takes an hour less to travel compared to Jane and starts off an hour later than Jane, what time will Jake arrive? By understanding the problem and applying the right math concept, you can then construct the right equation to solve for the answer 6 (o’clock) +2 (hours) =8 (o’clock).
Anyway, I’m not saying that mental maths / maths enrichment programmes are a waste of time and money. What I’m saying is that you need to know what the programmes are offering and decide whether they suit your kids and their circumstances. For us (or me at least), H does not have problems doing simple maths. He knows the basic math concepts. He loves doing maths – sometimes his workbook, sometimes by writing and solving his own equations – and always on his own initiative. So at 4 years old, I think it’s not necessary that he goes through the stress of formal maths lessons and homework. I will continue teaching him at home whenever a teaching moment arises and he should be no worse off for not attending math classes. But just to satisfy Hubs, I will still go visit some of those more well-known centres in December when I’m less busy. Who knows, maybe my perspective will change after that? We shall see…

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