Teaching Calculus To 5-Year-Olds

Doofus writes "The Atlantic has an interesting story about opening up what we routinely consider 'advanced' areas of mathematics to younger learners. The goals here are to use complex but easy tasks as introductions to more advanced topics in math, rather than the standard, sequential process of counting, arithmetic, sets, geometry, then eventually algebra and finally calculus. Quoting: 'Examples of activities that fall into the "simple but hard" quadrant: Building a trench with a spoon (a military punishment that involves many small, repetitive tasks, akin to doing 100 two-digit addition problems on a typical worksheet, as Droujkova points out), or memorizing multiplication tables as individual facts rather than patterns. Far better, she says, to start by creating rich and social mathematical experiences that are complex (allowing them to be taken in many different directions) yet easy (making them conducive to immediate play). Activities that fall into this quadrant: building a house with LEGO blocks, doing origami or snowflake cut-outs, or using a pretend "function box" that transforms objects (and can also be used in combination with a second machine to compose functions, or backwards to invert a function, and so on).' I plan to get my children learning the 'advanced' topics as soon as possible. How about you?"

Rocky's Boots

[Etherwalk]

Rocky's Boots.

'Nuff said.

Re:Mischaracterization of problem

[Mitchell314]

Yes, it's called embryonic development. It affects millions of people around the world and leads to impaired math abilities, where the affected cannot handle hundreds of mental calculations before making an error. The only known cure is to spend years in a basement alone eating cheetos, while insulting others' trivial math and lingual mistakes.

Age Appropriate?

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm curious how age-appropriate calculus is to a 5 year old. Perhaps we need a car analogy? Calculus is to a 5 year old as a car is to a dead person. Yes you can give a dead person a car... and with scaffolding give them the support needed to drive... and with autonomous cars they can get around where they need to go... Wouldn't we all be better off if you gave that car to a living person and and a coffin to the dead person? Instead of getting your kid to learn calculus, try teaching them how to pilot drones and blow up women and children with no remorse so they can get jobs with the US Army when they grow up.

Re:Mischaracterization of problem

[gstoddart]

But give me a hundred single-digit addition problems, and I will get a couple of them wrong.

You may find you're aided by taking off your shoes. it's worked for me for years. ;-)

Very inconvenient at the grocery store though.

Re: Clickbait Title

[Anonymous Coward]

"And I'm gonna be a really cool parent." Then reality sets in.

Re:Mischaracterization of problem

[SQLGuru]

This is slashdot. We all count in binary on our fingers. So -- FOUR.

Re:Mischaracterization of problem

[Anonymous Coward]

I like you ideas, and would like both to subscribe to your newsletter, and build a train wreck of a web site where a multitude of these embryonically impaired people can co-mingle and share fantasies about Natalie Portman.

Re:Mischaracterization of problem

[Hognoxious]

my Mom bought Saxon math books

Yf Hrthringmir haet twee battleaxen, uend Gwindmir haet neu een, hoewveel Waeolces cowd yeach slaythen in an qvartel hooer?