Today, let’s talk about the elephant in the room. You know, the one that gets in the way and often interrupts a math journey. The thing that drives so many people crazy enough that they ultimately decide math isn’t for them.
But first…
Let’s back up all the way to the beginning and start with a little bit of learning progression, or the path we typically follow when learning math. When we first start learning about numbers, it seems pretty simple. Although, we are usually very young when this process begins so we may not have any memory of life before numbers or how it felt learning them.
At any rate, when we think about a child learning numbers, we see it as simple. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3, right? If you’ve ever been around young children you might have observed this taking place. A caregiver might take a toddler by the hand and count the stairs up to the front door or they might say something like “one, two, three, go!” Repeating this experience of counting “one, two, three” creates a memory for the child and soon he may be “counting” on his own. I put quotes around the word “counting” because this rote memorization doesn’t really mean this kiddo knows how to count. It just means he can repeat the numbers he has heard.
Pretty soon, that child learns to associate the numbers with quantities, like when you count out the building blocks or the snacks on his plate. We start small, up to ten, then twenty…those teen numbers are so tricky…and pretty soon that kiddo has figured out the pattern and can count all the way to one hundred and maybe even beyond. All the while, we keep associating those numbers with the amounts they represent, which grows the concept of quantities and not just rote memorization.
What’s next on the number path? By age six or seven, a child has learned to combine quantities…that’s adding them together…and to separate or subtract them. Again, this begins with numbers less than ten, and then progresses to double and triple digits and beyond. That all seems pretty straightforward, right?
Now consider a kindergartener who is given a set of three objects and asked how many more they need to have five. This is where it gets interesting. This is where that child goes from straightforward counting to thinking algebraically.
Yes, I said it.
Algebraic thinking begins early and it happens to continue throughout our lives.
And that, my friend, is the elephant I’m referring to. Algebra. It’s often the point on the math path where people get confused and maybe even get so frustrated they give up and take on “I’m not a math person” as their mantra.
So, why did I take you down this road of where number learning begins? Well, one – to show you that you’ve been thinking algebraically for a long time. And, two – as a little background to support my claim that you probably use algebra every day without even realizing it.
Algebraic thinking involves noticing patterns and using those patterns to make generalizations and to solve problems. That’s a simplified definition that works for the purpose of this episode.
Haven’t I said before that it always comes back to patterns?
So, in your daily life, if you are noticing patterns and wondering about them and how they work, you are using algebra. What kinds of patterns are we talking about here? Well, could be a routine you have or a particular habit you notice you’ve developed. If it’s working for you, great! But have you ever found that something isn’t working well for you and you’ve taken steps to change it? Like, you notice you keep hitting the snooze button in the morning and this causes you to have to rush to work or to school. Or, maybe you have a habit of getting distracted by your phone when you need to be doing something else, like homework or laundry. When you recognize a pattern like this and evaluate whether or not it’s working for you, you are using algebraic thinking.
Let’s go back to that morning alarm situation for a different scenario. How did you decide what time to set that alarm for? My guess is that you know what time you need to be at work or at school and you estimated how long it will take to get there to figure out what time you have to leave. Then you estimated how much time it takes for you to eat breakfast, shower, dress, and get out the door. So, basically you worked backward from the time you have to be wherever it is you are going to decide what time you need to wake up. Does this sound about right?
Don’t look now, but that’s using algebraic thinking, too.
So, the next time you are tempted to say you hate algebra and you aren’t good at it, how about we stop to realize what it actually is. True, algebra class does mix letters with numbers, but it really isn’t about the letters. Algebraic thinking is really about taking what you know and using it to solve a problem. You are probably doing this so often and so automatically that you aren’t even really thinking about it. If that’s the case, you really are good at it, right?
This episode was kind of inspired by a book I wrote which was inspired by this post. I started writing it several years ago and kind of put it aside when life happened. Now I’ve dusted it off, put the finishing touches on it and I’m ready to share it with the world. It’s called Algebra is Not the Enemy and in it you’ll find some helpful explanations of a few basic ideas involving those letters that show up and some insight into how you really use algebraic thinking in your daily life. The goal is to show you algebra is not really the enemy you think it is and to encourage you to start shifting your mindset around it. It’s launching very soon and if you want to be the first to know when and how to get your hands on a copy, you’ll want to get on my waitlist! Head on over to onamission.bio/jennifermasonhardin and choose “I wrote a book!” to sign up. I promise your info is safe with me. I won’t sell it or flood your inbox with unwanted messages.
Remember you can always listen to these posts on the podcast (this one is Episode 20 – Algebra is Not the Enemy) and I’d love if you’d share with someone who could use this message.
Do you have questions about what I’ve said here? Send them to me! There are several ways to continue the conversation…comment below, send me a message over on Instagram, or ******@************pi.com“>email me. Talking math with people…especially with those who think they aren’t math people…is one of my favorite things to do! So, please don’t be shy…send me your messages!
