ABSTRACT
Every effort must be made in childhood to teach the young to use their own minds. From toddlers on up, parents need support with encouraging their children to look at all of the mathematics in the world around them. Every educator is aware that there is pressure to perform on state, national, and international tests from principals, superintendents, parents, and even realtors who are trying to sell homes in the area. However, studying mathematics is more than learning the content. Studying mathematics is how students learn analytical reasoning skills that are used in every other discipline. Many teachers feel they can't veer from the traditional curriculum or their students will not perform well on the high-stakes tests. The reasoning skills and problem-solving process they had learned helped them, much more than drill and practice on the kinds of problems on the test.
