Should schools in America teach Arabic Numerals as part of their curriculum?

[kimblebee]

I'd let you come and sit on the stupid folks bench with me, but be warned you'll just be labeled racist by the cool kids who are so much smarter they know why other people have an opinion -- even without any evidence to support their "knowledge".

If it looks like a duck, and sounds like a duck, and repeatedly posts like a duck..


*not referring to you*

 

[Magical2017]

Absolutely, I could see most of the rational behind a “no” answer would go this way.... Don’t kids have enough trouble learning math using English numbers? Why teach them Arabic ones?

We use the Arabic numeral system in the US. Every day. Did you read the article? Arabic numerals are the ten digits 0-9.

 

[soccerdad72]

Children should know the history of where mathematics and language originated. Root words are extremely helpful when learning the metric system, as well as learning the meaning of words for geometric shapes, so why NOT teach where these numerals that we use on a daily basis originated?

Totally agree - and then you get to 47 years old and forget a lot of crap you learned in school when you were 10

There's a reason why the show 'Are you smarter than a 4th grader?' was a hit - it's because there are so many things that kids learn in school that are quickly forgotten well into your adult years.

 

[Floridaman999]

We use the Arabic numeral system in the US. Every day. Did you read the article? Arabic numerals are the ten digits 0-9.

People were supposed to vote prior to reading the article.

 

[cabanafrau]

IMO it's an interesting piece of information, part of the fabric of human culture. I'd never really considered that it's not common knowledge, but perhaps my viewpoint on that is skewed having grown up in a metropolitan area with a very large Arabic population.

I can't say that I feel it's a critical failure for a school not to teach this specifically in their curriculum or that other things should be bumped to address this vital deficiency.

 

[cabanafrau]

If it looks like a duck, and sounds like a duck, and repeatedly posts like a duck..


*not referring to you*

Clearly.


"falls under the category of -- everything after but ..."

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Children should know the history of where mathematics and language originated. Root words are extremely helpful when learning the metric system, as well as learning the meaning of words for geometric shapes, so why NOT teach where these numerals that we use on a daily basis originated?

I believe they do, as this is exactly the type of thing I saw on my kids' early papers.

(I suppose the teachers here will verify this later once they get home from work!)

 

[cabanafrau]

Children should know the history of where mathematics and language originated. Root words are extremely helpful when learning the metric system, as well as learning the meaning of words for geometric shapes, so why NOT teach where these numerals that we use on a daily basis originated?

Then we should have Latin as a standard part of all curriculum, no?

 

[Magical2017]

Then we should have Latin as a standard part of all curriculum, no?

It is, at least in some areas. However, children learn shapes beginning in Kindergarten (or earlier, if taught at home and/or in preschool). At some point in the primary or intermediate grades, discussing root words comes up in some classrooms. This can be helpful--you can teach language in math and vice versa. I feel that education should be interdisciplinary, not isolated to a "math period" or "science" period.

 

[Magical2017]

I believe they do, as this is exactly the type of thing I saw on my kids' early papers.

(I suppose the teachers here will verify this later once they get home from work!)

That is awesome!

 

[siren0119]

Then we should have Latin as a standard part of all curriculum, no?

My fourth grader and my sixth grader are both learning Latin roots of words, as well as other roots (since as we all know, English is really just 3 languages dressed in a trench coat trying to pass as one - not my quote but one of my favorites!)

 

[L&Lfan]

We use the Arabic numeral system in the US. Every day. Did you read the article? Arabic numerals are the ten digits 0-9.

You misunderstood my post. I was offering a possible rationale for those choosing no.

 

[cabanafrau]

It is, at least in some areas. However, children learn shapes beginning in Kindergarten (or earlier, if taught at home and/or in preschool). At some point in the primary or intermediate grades, discussing root words comes up in some classrooms. This can be helpful--you can teach language in math and vice versa. I feel that education should be interdisciplinary, not isolated to a "math period" or "science" period.

Gee thanks, I had no idea that was the case when I responded on page one.

 

[Wendy31]

Would it be snooty of me to say that my kids, in their math curriculum, were taught both Arabic & Roman numerals?

However, while the poll, I believe, is trying to perhaps suggest racism, I see it as more that people just don't know what Arabic numerals are - or don't remember what Arabic numerals are because I seriously doubt everyone remembers every single thing they've ever learned. I think a lot of schools are teaching history of words & root words & even including a little background information about words in math class; things like that just don't always end up as the "core" of what we remember & retain from our education. For example, I remember learning the capitals of every South American country, but I couldn't rattle each one off to anyone currently.

And, if you don't know, you don't know - you're just thinking Arabic is another language. For a lot of of people, I think you could substitute any language & get similar results.

"Do you think French/Chinese/Russian/Swahili numerals should be included in American math curriculum?" And most people would say no because it's a math class not a foreign language class.

 

[hopemax]

Then we should have Latin as a standard part of all curriculum, no?

I don't know what they do in schools now. In my high school, one of the classes offered (which I took as SAT prep) was Etymology. But we had done some of this in middle school English. So while no "Latin language course" like my Dad had in Catholic school, it certainly wasn't ignored.

 

[BLAZEY]

Of course they should.

 

[cabanafrau]

I'm not unaware of Latin roots of words being taught in some curricula. I'm merely suggesting that if the concept of Arabic numerals is so vital, then surely the Latin roots of the English language would be the same.

 

[BLAZEY]

I believe they do, as this is exactly the type of thing I saw on my kids' early papers.

(I suppose the teachers here will verify this later once they get home from work!)

Not a teacher but parent to a 4th grade student, yes it is taught, at least here (BC Canada) it is.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I'm slow, walk me through the logic that leads to a 100-percent racist basis behind the idea it's not vital knowledge that every student must know.

Because otherwise you can't dial a phone number or enter a pin number or do even the most basic math?

Why did 9 people say no? Seriously, why? Using "they don't know it's a trick question" isn't an excuse.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Because otherwise you can't dial a phone number or enter a pin number or do even the most basic math?

Why did 9 people say no? Seriously, why? Using "they don't know it's a trick question" isn't an excuse.

They voted “no” because they don’t know or simply forgot this somewhat trivial fact. Honestly, it rates up there with knowing Levi Strauss set out to sell tents, not pants.