What's Math Got to Do with It?: Helping Children Learn to Love Their Most Hated Subject--and Why It's Important for America by Jo Boaler

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Synopsis

An alarming look at what's wrong with math education in the United States, and what we can do to change it

The United States is rapidly falling behind the rest of the developed world in terms of math education, and the future of our economy depends on the quality of teaching that our children receive today. A recent assessment of mathematics performance around the world ranked the U.S. twenty-eighth out of forty countries in the study. When the level of spending on education was taken into account, we sank to the very bottom of the list. According to Jo Boaler, a professor of mathematics education at Stanford University, statistics like these are all too common—we have reached the point of crisis, and a new course of action is crucial.

In this straightforward and inspiring book, Boaler outlines the nature of the math crisis by following the progress of students in middle and high schools over a number of years, observing which teaching methods are exciting students and getting results. Based on her research, she presents concrete solutions that will help reverse the trend, including classroom approaches, essential strategies for students, advice for parents on how to help children enjoy mathematics, and ways to work with teachers in schools. What's Math Got To Do With It? is an indispensable book for all parents and educators and anyone concerned about the mathematical and scientific future of our society.

Publishers Weekly

Formerly a professor at Stanford University and currently the Marie Curie Professor of Mathematics Education at the University of Sussex in England, Boaler probes the question of why so many kids hate math and what can be done about it. Befitting a math maven, Boaler approaches the problem from many angles, noting that even as the U.S. nears the bottom of international rankings in mathematical achievement, our need to fill jobs in science, medicine, technology and other math-related areas is growing. But the widespread aversion to math is no mystery: in her longitudinal studies of how children learn, Boaler has discovered that while school math is often boring and widely hated, teachers can ignite the curiosity that leads to success by using a more communicative, or project-based, approach. Instead of lecture-based, silent classrooms that promote passive learning, Boaler reveals that when students talk, collaborate, question and become actively engaged, math scores go up and attitudes improve. Boaler's enthusiasm for her subject is infectious, and even the most avid math haters will be intrigued by her fresh and passionate outlook. In addition to ideas for the classroom, the author also includes ways to make math fun and fascinating for kids at home. Parents and educators alike will count this book an inspiring resource. (July)

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Biography

Jo Boaler is the Marie Curie Professor of Mathematics Education at the University of Sussex in England. She was previously a professor at Stanford University, a lecturer at King's College, London, and a classroom teacher in London and California. She is a regular contributor to national television and radio in the U.S. and U.K., and her research has appeared in newspapers across the world, including The Wall Street Journal and The Times (London).