Mathematics has taken a shift in the past decade, with new standards driving more focused and coherent instruction. Ultimately, while we want a more rigorous program for our students, we also understand that it takes time to develop concepts. Exposure and memorization do not lead to mastery for the majority of students. For far too long there has been a focus on calculations and algorithms, tasks that now are easily done by a computer or phone. We need to move beyond word problems and solving real-world problems and truly prepare students to think. This doesn’t mean abandoning the need for processes like long division, but in fact showing students multiple ways to understand and ultimately master concepts.
It is true that by certain grades certain algorithms should be in a students toolbox, but too much of what you might read about the Common Core or the New Jersey Student Learning Standards are misinformed, there is no “one way” the standards dictate how students should do a problem, in fact, the opposite is true, the standards are about developing the reasoning of students so that they can efficiently solve complex tasks in a variety of ways. By equipping our students with more tools to understand and problem solve, we are strengthening their number sense. In turn, students actually understand mathematics, allowing us to extend further than ever before, on a more secure base of knowledge.