I completely agree with the news article. Students can excel at Mental Math in marketplace jobs, but struggle with Formal Math in the classroom, and vice versa. Both the market kids and the school going kids struggle with the approach the other group is proficient in, raising questions about how to help both groups learn math more comprehensively.
A very interesting point about how early exposure to practical tasks, like helping parents in markets, fields, or small businesses, can enhance children's mental mathematical skills. The daily practice of calculation, whether it’s counting money, measuring ingredients, or figuring out quantities, helps kids develop strong, quick mental mathematical abilities. This real-world application of commercial/ behavioural mathematics can sometimes be more intuitive and enjoyable than the structured, textbook- based approach used in formal schooling.
It's true that as formal education becomes more standardized, and often conducted in English, kids may lose that hands-on, engaging connection to the material. When math is seen as a set of abstract concepts rather than something used in everyday life, it can feel boring or disconnected from reality. The emphasis on memorization and rote learning can make it harder for children to see the fun in mathematics.
For example, if a banana costs Rs. 6 and we have to find the cost of 99 bananas then a market kid will calculate it in entirely a different way than the school going kid will do. The market kid calculations are as follows:
100 multiplied by 6 - 6 = 594
Whereas a school kid will do calculations as taught in classroom scenario such as using table of 6 and then taking the carry over, etc.
School kids are process oriented whereas market kids are solution oriented as they use different tricks to calculate.
OBSERVATIONS AND EXPERIENCES ON HOW TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES
To reinstate the joy of learning mathematics, it’s crucial for schools to incorporate more interactive and creative approaches. Using play, games, puzzles, quizzes, art (like painting or designing), measurement tasks, and even activities like clay modelling can encourage problem-solving, teamwork, and critical thinking in a more engaging way. These activities tie back to the practical skills that kids might be developing at home and make the learning process more enjoyable and relatable.
Teachers can also integrate real-life scenarios into lessons—such as calculating the cost of shopping or estimating distances—so that students can see how mathematics applies directly to their daily lives. This connection might reignite excitement about learning and help students develop a deeper, more intuitive understanding of mathematical concepts.
To effectively teach mathematics to a 7 to 15 year old kid, one needs to focus on making it fun and relatable by using hands on activities, visual aids every day, situation and games while ensuring they understand basic concepts like counting, addition, subtraction, and simple geometry through practical examples and consistent practice. We need to always encourage them to explain their reasoning and thinking process.
We need to integrate math into our daily routine by asking questions which connects them to life skills, values and subject integration. We need to explain them the relation between fractions, decimals and percentage.
Educational trips like the trip to Amrit Udyan to make them understand the concept of HCF and LCM should be organized. students do not understand the application of HCF and LCM which can be easily understood by giving them plenty of real life problems. students emphasize on learning math like other subjects. They don’t know the language of mathematics and so we can ask one student of the same class who is good at that concept to teach it to the rest of the class, and that will benefit the whole class in two ways. One, the child who is explaining will be able to recall and revise for himself and also will be able to know how to explain a concept to others, and the rest of the class will be able to understand it better as a child is explaining them in their language or at their level.
According to Mr. Banerjee, students learned an algorithm but did not understand it very well. If you take an example of dividing 70848 by 23, then the quotient comes out to be 3080, and the remainder comes out to be 8.When students are taught this concept, many of them are confused. To overcome this situation, we need to give them a lot of practice. School going children cannot do it without pen and paper. Also we need to tell the students the relation between the three main topics which they do in junior classes: fraction decimal, and percentage. They do each chapter separately, but they do not know how to convert fraction into decimal, decimal into fraction, decimal into percentage, percentage into decimal and fraction into percentages. There are different tricks to convert them from one form to the other, which students need to understand logically.
Always break down a problem into simple parts. There is always an easier way to solve a problem. Try to make terms simpler by breaking them down to the most basic form. Read the question in phrases.
Decimals are a component of a whole number, while fractions are the numerical representation of the decimal when fractions are introduced. It’s important to start with lower numbers like one fourth as well as to follow a good way to improve one’s capability to learn how to add, subtract, multiply and divide fractions. Percentage represents a portion of a whole or a specific amount out of hundred. It's commonly used in task such as calculating discounts, determining nutritional values, computing sales tax, and figuring out interest rates on saving accounts among other applications.
Becoming better at math involves establishing a routine for solving problems and mastering concepts. Once you have learnt how to solve a problem, it becomes easier to tackle the same equation in the future. This approach saves time and effort in the long run, especially when faced with larger problems, Always try to write down each math step.
Mathematics is a skill that anyone can improve with consistent practice and dedication, mastering the basics such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division forms the foundation for advancing in more complex, math topics, breaking down complex problems, practicing mental math and using real word applications of math concepts can also significantly enhance skills Establishing a routine seeking help when necessary can provide the guidance and feedback needed to succeed. Regular practice and focusing on understanding each concept deeply are essential steps in becoming proficient and confident in math. Many people believe one is born with the talent to be good at math while others are just not. However, many studies have proved that there is no inherent mathematical ability. Everyone can become proficient in math if they put in the effort and time. At the end of the day, practice is the key to success and be an expert in Mathematics.
Mrs. Geeta Rani
PGT Mathematics
Modern School Vasant Vihar
New Delhi - 110057
