ABSTRACT
The concern which has been shown in other papers with teaching for a thorough grasp of concepts is nowhere more important than in mathematics. The higher order concepts in this subject are particularly abstract and there is a corresponding danger that the children will learn the words without the underlying concepts. In this paper the author tackles this basic problem and also gives critical consideration to some of the topics of modern mathematics. He suggests that they are sometimes taught more because they are fashionable than because they enhance a child’s grasp of mathematical concepts. The important question of the relationship between techniques (learning tables etc.) and conceptual understanding is also discussed and recommendations made.
