As I have been teaching and tutoring throughout the school year and summer for students in varying types of school settings, I have been finding out some interesting information. Many students do not know some of the common numbers from our daily lives that we were drilled with and tested on every year throughout our schooling. At some point these numbers are missed. Maybe these common facts are taken for granted. In lieu of learning these numbers maybe the curriculums tell us to push on and do more complicated tasks. I feel that "pressure" to get through what we need to get through. What numbers am I talking about? Here is a list. See if you know the answers. If not, find out the answers. How? If you are not sure how, e-mail me and I will help you.
1. How any days are in a week, year?
2. How many weeks are in a year?
3. How many hours in a day? In a week?
4. How many inches in a foot, yard?
5. How many feet in a mile?
6. How many cups in a gallon?
7. How many ounces in a cup?
8. How many ounces in a pound?
9. How many pounds in a ton?
10. How many days are in each month?
This is all for now. There are plenty more that need to be committed to your memory. I will be back again in less than 168 hours.
Seems like common sense, right Tim? Education has steered away from
ReplyDeletedrill and memorization, but there sure are a lot of things that you need to be able to call up quickly when you're...in a grocery store, the mall, the tax office and even the pharmacy (yikes!) just to name a few! Functional math literacy!
I used to try to impress upon parents how important it was for their 4th or 5th grader to know their multiplication & division facts. I spared them the stories about when I was a kid and we drilled, drilled, drilled! But we've gone to the other extreme now (or at least we did in my teaching days). How are things now?
ReplyDeleteBTW, I ran across your blog accidentally and enjoy it. Maybe you'd enjoy reading mine. Go to http://georgeswebpage.com, click on blog spot, and then click on "The Last Word". I'll check back here soon.