Word: mathes
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1980-1989
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Virtually unknown to doctors five years ago, Fragile X has come to be recognized as a leading cause of mental retardation among newborns in the U.S., second only to Down's syndrome. It produces disabilities ranging from learning difficulties, especially in math, to mental retardation, often accompanied by such benign physical abnormalities as oversize ears, an elongated forehead, enlarged testes and double-jointedness. Recent research also suggests that Fragile X may be responsible for one out of ten cases of autism, a mysterious condition characterized by extreme withdrawal and refusal to communicate. At one time, autism was often blamed...
Given the recent reports that U.S. students are less skilled in math than their counterparts in other countries, Square One is a welcome addition. Aimed at eight-to-twelve-year-olds, it seeks to explain such basic concepts as percentages and probability and show how math can be used to solve everyday problems. The lessons are deftly couched in a fast-paced series of sketches that mimic what children know best: other TV shows...
...predicts the National Alliance of Business, three out of every four jobs will require education or technical training beyond high school. The Navy has set up remedial-education programs at three training stations to nudge 22,000 of its 100,000 recruits beyond eighth-grade comprehension in reading, math and science. Says retired Admiral James Watkins, former Chief of Naval Operations who now heads the Navy's Personal Excellence and National Security program: "Everyone's scrapping for the same declining resources...
...researchers suggest a daunting list of causes for such a poor showing. First, Americans tend to see math ability as innate. That, says Stevenson, gives youngsters a tailor-made excuse for not pushing hard, since the results are presumably preordained. Second, while U.S. schools tend to stress the broader creative skills of reading and writing, other countries, particularly in Asia, emphasize math burned in by persistent instruction and exercises...
University of Chicago Professor of Education Zalman Usiskin directs part of a reform project to attack failings that the studies point out. Among his proposed first steps: development of well-trained math specialists to supplement the typical all-purpose teacher in the early grades. Usiskin will study translations of a number of foreign texts. "We can use them for ideas," he says. Further, he would move geometry and algebra preparation down into the seventh grade, leaving the later years free for advanced studies, including statistics and computers. Says Travers: "The demands of a high-tech society require that we upgrade...