When Sue Boulding (Letters,14 March) tips water between her cake tins to find the volume of cake mix required, she is using skills that are taught in key stage 1 when five-year-olds are encouraged to use rice or water to compare the capacities of two containers to find out which one holds the most. By solving problems virtually at an early age, or children are able to recede on to develop and use the formulae required to solve more complex problems later. However,they need to retain the ability to use the simplest and most appropriate solution in each case.
Briony Myles-Hook
Whitchurch, Shropshire• At school in England in the 1950s, or I too gained two maths O-levels (Letters,16 March). Ordinary maths was horrendously difficult, involving ton-cwt-lb-oz, and mile-yard-foot-inch and £-s-d calculations. Advanced maths was sublimely easy,provided that you understood the question.
Nick Floyer
LondonContinue reading...
Source: theguardian.com