Article about Common Core math

April 5, 2014 7:56 PM

Trying to find an article I read sometime in the last three months about Common Core math.

The article started out talking about why Common Core math does make sense. It then described how basic addition and subtraction seem simple but are actually quite difficult concepts at a young age, in addition to being boring. In contrast, the basic concepts of knot theory and set theory are more interesting and more accessible at a young age. The researcher in the article (possibly the author) wanted to find more concepts that are interesting and accessible - I think there was a phrase about finding "advanced but conceptually simple" topics - to make math more appealing intuitive for kids.

I think I read this in the New York Times, but I'm not sure.

posted by Questolicious to Education (7 answers total)

Best answer: Was it from this post? The article it links talks about "simple but hard" and "complex yet easy" math.
posted by katemonster at 8:40 PM on April 5, 2014

My friend posted this on facebook.
posted by lilnublet at 8:41 PM on April 5, 2014

Might have been Ed Frenkel -- this recent piece in the LA Times sounds those themes, though not explicitly in connection with Common Core (which Ed actually supports, if I remember correctly.)
posted by escabeche at 8:58 PM on April 5, 2014

Maybe this NY Times article.
posted by Dansaman at 9:39 PM on April 5, 2014

Best answer: Try 5 Year Olds Can Learn Calculus by Luba Vangelova, published in The Atlantic.
posted by MeghanC at 9:55 PM on April 5, 2014

Here is one from HuffPo about the number line technique.
posted by quixotictic at 10:04 PM on April 5, 2014

Response by poster: 5 Year Olds Can Learn Calculus is it! Thank you, katemonster and MeghanC!
posted by Questolicious at 10:33 PM on April 5, 2014