Searching for Better Ways to Teach Math in US

Searching for Better Ways to Teach Math in US
In 2006, President Bush named a group to advise on improving U.S. mathematics education. Now, the experts say existing research offers few answers. Transcript of radio broadcast:
09 April 2008


This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

A committee has released its final report on ways to improve math education for American students. President Bush created the National Mathematics Advisory Panel two years ago.

The panel examined thousands of reports, along with survey results from more than seven hundred algebra teachers. Yet the report, released last month, is short on detailed advice. It says existing research does not show just what knowledge or skills are needed for effective math teaching. The solution? More research.

The report does say basic math skills must be taught completely in the early years of school. Children should be able to add and subtract in the third grade. By the end of fifth grade, they should be able to multiply and divide.

Teachers should avoid revisiting skills year after year. And, the experts say, it is wrong to think children are "too young" or "not ready" to learn certain content at certain ages.

The report says a major goal for kindergarten through eighth grade should be understanding fractions. These skills are needed for algebra. Yet, the report says, at the present time they seem to be severely underdeveloped in American students.

Schools are urged to prepare more students to take algebra by the eighth grade.

Many people think math success depends largely on natural talent or ability; the experts say it depends on effort. Studies have shown that children improve in math when they believe that their efforts to learn make them "smarter."

The report also calls for strengthening the math preparation of elementary and middle school teachers. And it urges publishers to shorten math textbooks, which are often up to a thousand pages long. The panel said math books are much smaller in many nations where students do better in math than American children.

Publishers say American textbooks have to meet the goals of different states for what should be taught in each grade.

The report also calls for more research on the effects of using calculators. Many algebra teachers expressed concern about their use in the lower grades.

And the report says gifted students who can move through the material much faster than others should be permitted to do so.

The math panel says the educational system needs major changes. If not, it warns that the United States will lose the mathematical leadership it possessed during most of the twentieth century.

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. I'm Steve Ember.

----------------------------Google Translate

寻找更好的方法来教导数学，在美国
在2006年，布什总统任命一个小组，就改进美国的数学教育。现在，专家们说，现有的研究提供了一些答案。全文电台广播：
2008年4月9日

这是美国之音特别英语教育报告。

一个委员会发表其最后报告，就如何改善数学教育，为美国学生。布什总统成立了国家数学顾问小组在两年前。

小组研究了数以千计的报道，随着调查的结果，从以上的700代数教师。但报告，上月公布的，是短期的详细意见。它说，现有的研究并没有表明什么样的知识或技能，都需要有效的数学教学。解决呢？更深入的研究。

该报告并说，基本的数学技能，必须教导完全在最初几年的学校。孩子应该可以放入核减在小学三年级。到去年底，五年级，他们应该可以再乘以和隔膜。

教师应避免再访技能年复一年。而且，专家们说，这是错误的认为孩子是"太年轻"或"没有准备好" ，以学习某些内容，在某些年龄。

报告说，一个主要目标，为从幼儿园到八年级应了解分式。这些技能所需要的代数。然而，报告说，在目前这个时候，他们似乎受到严重落后于美国学生。

学校要求准备更多的学生采取代数八年级。

有不少人认为数学成就在很大程度上取决于天赋或能力;专家说，这要看努力。研究表明，提高儿童在数学时，他们认为，他们努力学习，使他们"更聪明" 。

报告还呼吁加强数学编写小学和中学教师。它敦促出版商，以缩短数学课本，因为这往往多达上千页长。该委员会还表示，数学书籍是少得多，在许多国家，让学生做更好的数学成绩比美国儿童。

出版商说，美国的教科书中，都必须符合目标的不同，各国应如何教每个职系。

该报告还呼吁进行更多的研究，对影响使用计算器。许多代数老师表示关切，他们利用在低年级。

并报告说，资优学生，他们可以提出通过材料的速度，远远超过其他国家应被允许这样做。

数学小组说，教育体制的需要，发生重大变化。如果不是，它警告说，美国将失去数学领导，它具有在20世纪的大部分时间。

这也是该美国之音特别英语教育报告书，写的南希steinbach 。我史蒂夫Ember公司