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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