January 15, 2015
Phil Daro compares a math classroom in the United States with one in Japan.
Direct instruction is a good way to teach students specific facts, which can lead to higher marks on standardized tests. However, it fails to foster curiosity and creativity in children, two qualities that are difficult…
Math achievement in preschool been shown to be an accurate predictor of future progress not only in math, but in other academic areas as well. "We want kids running around the classroom and bumping into…
In this TED Talk, you’ll hear from Angela Lee Duckworth, the psychologist who coined the term "grit." She discusses her research and offers some brief ideas on how to motivate kids to be gritty.
When teaching students math, we often do so in a way that doesn't help them make sense of the subject. We teach the steps to take to get an answer, rather helping them understand why…
While many believe that students learn math on a straight-forward, linear path, they actually pull ideas from many different sources when completing a problem. The challenge for the teacher, then, is to take these students,…
Phil Daro explains that the main cause behind the United States' lagging academic performance, particularly in math education, is not the students, the teachers, or the schools, but rather the curriculum, specifically in its attempt…
Research suggests that providing children with ample playtime allows them to develop important social and behavioral skills.
This study done by Vanderbilt University and the University of Louisville examined children's ability to learn just math skills and procedures versus explaining the underlying concepts beforehand. It found that children were more likely to…
In this downloadable pdf article, professors Sian Beilock of the University of Chicago and Daniel Willingham of the University of Virginia explore overcoming math anxiety, its importance in the math classroom, and implications for preparing…