I have heard many parents complain in China that American primary schools waste time and repeat the same knowledge every year. In fact, this is the characteristic of American teaching. Although they are the same knowledge, every year in high school, all mathematical concepts will be deepened on the original basis and deeper and broader concepts will be introduced. In this way, regardless of children's IQ, they can finally learn to master those mathematical concepts.
For example, learn the application of measurement units and let children know the purpose of rulers before school; In the first grade, I learned to measure things with a ruler: how many centimeters is a pencil and how many centimeters is an eraser; In the second grade, different length units are introduced, such as the distance between two cities is kilometers, the height is meters, and a piece of paper is centimeters; In the third grade, I learned the conversion between different length units.
American schools believe that addition, subtraction, multiplication and division are not mathematics, but computing ability, and mathematics is logic, reasoning and judgment, and application. Therefore, teaching mathematics in American schools is to let children understand the concept of mathematics and what numbers are for, but it does not cultivate children's computing ability.
The advantage of the repeated step-by-step teaching method in the United States is that children of all qualifications can learn basic mathematical concepts. A child who doesn't understand a concept in grade one may understand it at once in grade three, so will it bury the talent of a good student?
The educational philosophy in the United States is not to let any child fall behind, but also to give good students a chance to lead. From the first grade, if a teacher finds that a student has a talent in mathematics, he will recommend it to the school for evaluation, and then let him take math classes with senior students according to their level. If children have a high level of reading comprehension, they can learn English with senior students after evaluation. If the child is ahead in all subjects, he can choose to skip class.
The author has a friend's son who is good at math. When he was in the fourth grade, he went to junior middle school for math. The school specially sent a volunteer to pick up and drop off every day. In junior high school, I have to take math classes in senior high school. Although he can act alone, high school is far from junior high school, and the school specially arranged a school bus to pick him up.
The author heard from a friend of hers that she is a professor of mathematics in an American university, and over-training her calculation ability will inhibit her mathematical thinking ability. That's why they don't train children to calculate. In the American way of education, children with mathematical talent will truly understand the essence of mathematics, learn to model and judge logically, and have strong integration and innovation ability. This is also the reason why among the winners of the previous Nobel Prize in Mathematics-Fields Prize, the United States has the largest number of winners.
Seeing this, some readers may think that the American education method is good and complain that their own country is not like this. Actually, I don't think it's necessary Knowing the disadvantages of overtraining the calculation ability and the essence of mathematics, as a parent, you can't take care of your baby into the pit without changing the environment. Each country has its own educational methods and can cultivate different talents. On the one hand, some parents complain about the poor education system in their country, on the other hand, they practice it. In fact, everyone can change themselves, let children enjoy the benefits of their own national education system, while avoiding its defects.