Developing proficiency in Mathematics among children: Critical steps
By Charles K. Assuah (Ph.D)
Children’s ability to reason logically, make realistic judgments and informed decisions is partly influenced by their proficiency level in Mathematics. Proficiency in Mathematics is the ability for children to understand and apply mathematical theories and concepts to solve problems that provide worthwhile intellectual challenges for them. Apart from conceptual understanding, procedural fluency and strategic competence also contribute immensely to children’s mathematical proficiency.
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Procedural fluency is the skill children require to carry out procedures flexibly, accurately, efficiently and appropriately. This skill includes efficiency and accuracy in basic computations, as well as knowledge of when and how to use procedures.
Children could become procedurally fluent when teachers consciously assigned them with tasks that followed specific routines in arriving at correct solutions.
Basic steps and rules
Continual memorisation of basic steps and rules by children in their solution strategies could shore up their confidence in problem solving. By doing the same task or similar tasks repetitively, children become psychologically prepared and self-motivated to own their learning styles.
Tasks that heavily rely on the use of basic mathematical operations (i.e. addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) should form a major part of teachers’ professional practice and disposition. For example, at the lower levels, children could be assigned with multiplication problems consisting of either three or two-digit numbers.
These types of problems do not only demand high level of accuracy from children, but also provide a platform for them to exhibit a strong level of efficiency in their solution strategies. Children’s first, second or even third attempts at solving such problems may not always lead to correct answers; these attempts should not deter teachers from encouraging children to keep on practicing. At the upper levels, children could be assigned, for example, with simple equations to solve.
Solution strategies
Solution strategies to such problems may demand definite methods and procedures which children cannot take for granted. By following these methods and procedures, children gradually gain computational fluency, especially, when they realise that their solutions are correct.
Teachers could also assign children with tasks that compulsorily require specific time limitation for them to complete. Although, this strategy may seem trivial or unimportant among a few alternatives, its impact, however, could enable children cultivate attitude of proper time management, a requirement for every responsible child.
Strategic competence, on the other hand, is the ability for children to formulate, represent and solve mathematical problems. For children to achieve such a skill, teachers need to encourage them to be creative and innovative in their solution strategies. Such strategies may sometimes lead children to explore multiple strategies that could give the same solutions.
Through this exploration process, children construct their own learning styles with little or no intervention from their teachers. Through the confidence children gain in their choice of solution strategies, they eventually come out with efficient and effective strategies that they can always rely on.
To formulate mathematical problems, teachers should expose children to basic mathematical terms, definitions and related concepts before moving on to complicated ones. When dealing with fractions, children should confidently be able to differentiate between, for example, a proper and an improper fraction. Again, children should understand the difference between a numerator and a denominator with little or no guidance.
Children in Asia are excelling in mathematics because teachers give high premium to conceptual understanding, procedural fluency and strategic competence. As a nation, until we are able to provide alternative solutions that will provide proficiency for our children, we need to go along with the “winners” to enable our children become proficient in mathematics.
The writer is a Lecturer, Department of Mathematics Education, University of Education, Winneba.
Writer’s email: [email protected]
