Speed In Mathematics

Hi there. In this education and math post, I would like to talk about the topic of speed in math.

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Topics

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• Importance of Speed
• Slow Math Speed Is Problematic
• Ways To Improve Math Speed

 

Importance of Speed

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In a lot of places, speed does matter. Not many people prefer their food to be prepared slowly, not many like slow deliveries, and many do not like delayed flights. There is a bit of an expectation to have things done fast. For some people their time is very limited and they could be really busy people.

In the math setting and in math education, speed does matter. Math speed is somewhat associated with math ability. Someone who is not too fast with multiplication, division and negative numbers
will likely not do well with algebra.

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Slow Math Speed Is Problematic

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For me personally I am not a big fan of tests. I do prefer assignments. Depending on the questions presented on tests, tests can really evaluate students on their knowledge and understanding of a subject. One thing that tests do well on is testing student time management. I think a reasonable amount of time for a test is where at least 70% of students can finish in time. Those who do not finish in time may not know the tested concepts very well, the time management could be bad and/or the student speed is not fast enough.

There can be many reasons why a math student may not finish tests. Did the student study? Even with studying did the student do enough studying or even the right kind of studying? Does the student write slow? Were the test questions too hard in an unfair way? How is the student's algebra accuracy, ability and speed?

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Ways To Improve Math Speed

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There are ways to improve math speed. Here are some from me.

Math Flashcards To Build Accuracy & Speed

Math flashcards are a great way to build accuracy and speed for number sense and arithmetic. A lot of math calculations and algebra are dependent on numerical fluency and number sense. You can use physical flashcards, a deck of cards for addition practice, subtraction practice or multiplication practice. Online flashcards offer more variety but require the use of a computer, tablet or phone. I like online flashcards from Ascend Math and FactMonster.

 

Doing More Homework For Practice

Homework is not popular with many kids but it is there as necessary practice to build knowledge, skills and speed. In general, doing more homework leads to a larger gain in knowledge and skills. The one hard part is to balance the amount of time being spent on homework with hobbies, eating, sleeping and spending time with friends.

 

Increasing Writing Speed

One way to improve speed in general would be to improve writing speed. An increased writing speed would help with pretty much all subjects not just math. There would have to be a balance between neatness and writing speed. In general a faster writing speed leads to messier writing. Faster writing speed does help with faster written calculations.

 

Math Tutoring Or After School Learning Centres

I do think that it is a bit of a luck of the draw for students when it comes to getting teachers. A student may get a good teacher one year then a bad teacher another year or vice versa. There could be cases where students get good teachers often or bad teachers often depending on the school board and luck factors. For students that are struggling in certain subjects, parents and guardians may look into supplemental learning resources in the form of tutors or after school learning centres (Kumon, Mathnasium, Oxford/Sylvan Learning Centers). The cost for extra education resources is pretty high as in more expensive than fitness memberships. Some may find the high costs to be worth it and do consider it as investing in their kids' futures.

Learning centres are in the business of helping their young customers get better in subjects they need assistance in. Many of the employees in these private companies are specialized and they work hard to provide value for the money paid to them. Some places offer free assessments and even consultations to discuss about personalized plans for students.

 

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Thank you for reading.