elementary school math-fact challenges
Feb. 7th, 2013 08:58 amHere's what I don't get: I've been told that the MCAS is un-timed. (Is this true?)
If this is so, why is there so much emphasis on doing the math-fact sheets as fast as possible? Timing them and so forth? For some kids, rising to the challenge will work. But there are some kids (such as Sophia, and at least one other kid you know...) for whom the timer causes so much activation of the sympathetic nervous system that it impairs both performance and learning. In a big way.
Mathematicians are not judged on speed. So why is math treated like a track event in 2nd grade?
If this is so, why is there so much emphasis on doing the math-fact sheets as fast as possible? Timing them and so forth? For some kids, rising to the challenge will work. But there are some kids (such as Sophia, and at least one other kid you know...) for whom the timer causes so much activation of the sympathetic nervous system that it impairs both performance and learning. In a big way.
Mathematicians are not judged on speed. So why is math treated like a track event in 2nd grade?