math

This article on math resonates with me.  I agree 100% that it is wrong to try and teach children academic material younger and younger in the hope that they will get it.  Duh!  They will just be more confused from an earlier age.  I knew from my musical teaching that when a kids starts doesn't mean they will be good from an earlier age.  It just means they will spend longer struggling until they have the maturity and coordination to get it, if they stick around that long.  Some kids will grasp things earlier.  That's fine.  But math is too important to daily living and rational decision making, to have such dismal general sentiment. 

G doesn't take math at school.  That wasn't deliberate the first year.  But now going into the 3rd year I absolutely don't want him participating in FCAT prep and being drilled to do math.  I want him counting stacks of $20s, and $5, realizing that it takes a lot of them to reach the goal amount for paying the taxes.  Math is magical and simple.  Having a real appreciation of dollar amounts is critical.  Who really needs to add 6 figures in their monthly life?  Who even does long division as part of anything but a math assignment?  Why on earth does a 3rd grader need to learn anything beyond fractions (for pizza) and division to the 2nd decimal place (for money)?

I maybe sound so anti-math.  I'm actually just anti making people hate math.  I love dealing with math in practical applications.