I think a whole lot of kids can get algebraic ideas early.
They may not be able to have the attention span and accuracy to factor some 6th degree polynomial in 2 variables with mixed signs.
But the idea of an equation; of invertible operations; of doing things to both sides of an equation... If you word the questions right and make it interesting, most 7-8 year olds can do this stuff no problem.
I think a whole lot of the math whizs who post on HN grew up around people who loved math and figured out how to share interesting tidbits with them very young.
E.g. why are my kids all terrifically accelerated at mathematics? Is it because of some magical genetic thing (maybe a small part of it is)? Or is it because we, as parents, value and enjoy it?
I want to figure out how to bring more of that magic to ordinary classrooms.
They may not be able to have the attention span and accuracy to factor some 6th degree polynomial in 2 variables with mixed signs.
But the idea of an equation; of invertible operations; of doing things to both sides of an equation... If you word the questions right and make it interesting, most 7-8 year olds can do this stuff no problem.
I think a whole lot of the math whizs who post on HN grew up around people who loved math and figured out how to share interesting tidbits with them very young.
E.g. why are my kids all terrifically accelerated at mathematics? Is it because of some magical genetic thing (maybe a small part of it is)? Or is it because we, as parents, value and enjoy it?
I want to figure out how to bring more of that magic to ordinary classrooms.