Marcos Sanchez

UWRT 1101Padgett, Adam

April 13, 2015
Calculators Given to Children at a Young Age Have Negative Effects
The education system in America has always been a huge topic of discussion for
anyone worried about how the country compares with countries like china, and japan. Other
countries have higher test scores in mathematics and sciences. That is where in America,
there is a struggle to improve proficiency. Many people agree that in order to improve math
and science scores, we must find a way to teach elementary kids to develop essential
arithmetic skills. Those skills are acquired by practicing the subject. This includes addition,
subtraction, multiplication, division, and other introductory topics like geometry. There are
problems involved in teaching these subjects. Certain technology helps to aid students, but
some of the same technology is affecting students. Using a calculator is great for getting
answers, but it does not help the student learn concepts necessary to be successful in math.
That is why calculators affect young students. There are studies that show that the
introduction of calculators to children at a young age hinder their ability to advance in higher
math as they age.
Weis Sol, the author of Elementary Mathematics: Teaching Suggestions and
Strategies, focuses on different strategies and options for elementary grade teachers to use on
their students to help them succeed in mathematics. The book is a set of curriculums to teach
elementary math that includes addition, subtraction, division, geometry, algebra, and statistics,
in the nineteen seventies. The books purpose is to make math learning as simple for kids as

Marcos Sanchez
UWRT 1101Padgett, Adam
April 13, 2015
possible. Sol relates math to sports. The idea is that one must start with fundamentals, once
the person has mastered fundamentals; they are able to start learning the game. The same
thing occurs in school. We all experienced learning how to count to ten. This was a simple yet
very important concept. Once we realized that numbers keep going infinitely, we never forgot
how to count. The only way to be successful in math is to master those math
fundamentals. As kids advance through elementary school, they learn other topics like long
division and multiplication by hand. At this stage in their learning careers, times tables is
memorized and mental math starting to become a second nature to them. Sol focuses largely
on mental math. It is key to unlocking their ability to solve math problems without any aid. At
this point in the book, it is leaned towards fifth and sixth grade teachers. In comparison to
todays elementary school curriculum, the calculator in the seventies was not relied on as
heavily. It is not until the end of the book when Sol mentions briefly the use of a calculator,
and that it is a useful tool for higher mathematics. Since the seventies, sat scores in math have
risen gradually, but are still falling short of the world average.
Elementary curriculums have drastically changed over the years. New laws like the
2001 No child left behind, states that more money will be offered to schools to improve scores
all around. More money going into school also means more technology. More advance
calculators were introduced to schools. There is no longer just a four-function. With the right
program, a calculator can solve college mathematics questions. The introduction of
calculators, especially in elementary schools, affects the students positively, with more effects

Marcos Sanchez
UWRT 1101Padgett, Adam
April 13, 2015
that are negative. Les Sillars explains how kids in middle grades have difficulty being
proficient in their math classes. In the article, When to Use Your Head, Sillars starts
explaining that 38 percent of people are not comfortable doing math in everyday life purposes
without the help of some form of calculator. This includes counting money, remembering
numbers, or anything done in any ordinary day. Sillars shifts the idea of the article to how the
problems adults have with math can be seen in kids early on. Sillars states that at least one
third of thirteen year olds cannot successfully do algebra, or other math they are currently
learning. Sillars helps point out the effects of introducing calculators to children at too young
of an age.
This problem is not an easy fix. Simply getting rid of the calculators from school
would be detrimental to the different learning styles obtained by kids. The problem is not the
calculators themselves. It is the knowledge and age in which kids use them that is the
problem. Rittle-Johnson and coauthor Alexander Kmicikewycz of Calculators Ok in Math,
suggest that:
The level of a student's knowledge of mathematics facts was the determining factor in
whether a calculator hindered his or her learning. This study indicates technology
such as calculators can help kids who already have strong a foundation in basic skills.
[] For students who did not know many multiplication facts, generating the answers
on their own, without a calculator, was important and helped their performance on

Marcos Sanchez
UWRT 1101Padgett, Adam
April 13, 2015
subsequent tests. For those students who already had some multiplication skills, using
the calculator before taking the test had no impact. However, for those who were not
good at multiplying, use of the calculator had a negative impact on their performance.
(22 Headline Science)
The facts are clear, a calculator given to a child that has not mastered fundamental
mathematical concepts were not as successful as those that have already mastered it.
However, how can one truly master math? According to psychology professor Carol Dweck,
and education professor Jo Boaler, Learning to do math is no different from learning to play
the piano or learning to play a sport a lot of it is about hard work and practice.(Hate Math?)
That is the inevitable truth. There is no short cut. Weis sol had the same ideology in his math
curriculum book from the nineteen seventies, and as Dweck and Boaler suggest in the present
year article, practice is the answer.
What happens if kids grow up dependent on the calculator? The question answers
itself. They are dependent on the calculator to be successful. They may get by in the
classroom, but not on final exams. In Calculators in Mathematics Education, James Fey
focuses on College Board exams. SATs have had major changes over decades. As time has
passed and technology has advanced, so have standardized tests. The College Board has
added different parts of the exam. In the SAT, there are calculator active parts, and calculator
inactive parts. The calculator active parts being the sections were the use of calculators are

Marcos Sanchez
UWRT 1101Padgett, Adam
April 13, 2015
used. According to Fey, the exams have not always formatted that way. As calculators slowly
integrated into curriculums k-12 over the years, it has also been placed into those exams. If
the student taking one of these exams lacks the fundamental knowledge, the calculator will
not be of much help since knowledge of concepts learned in the classroom are key to solve
problems. This is one reason why test scores in America are not increasing, because
calculators are introduced to kids prematurely.
There is a struggle to improve proficiency in math. In order to improve math and
science scores, elementary curriculums have changed to help better develop essential math
skills. Those skills are acquired with the help of new technology, and daily practice. There
are problems involved in teaching these subjects. Using a calculator is great for getting
answers, but ultimately does not help the student learn concepts necessary to be successful.
Studies in Calculators Ok in Math show that the introduction of calculators to children at a
young age hinders their ability to advance in higher math as they age. It is our responsibility
to state the facts in order to help children be successful, and improve test score in our country.

Marcos Sanchez
UWRT 1101Padgett, Adam
April 13, 2015
Works Cited

Weiss, Sol. Elementary Mathematics: Teaching Suggestions and Strategies. Boston: Prindle,
Weber & Schmidt, 1978. Print.
Subtracting Calculators Doesnt Add Up. Education Journal 216 (2014): 12, Academic
Search Premier. Web. 11. Mar. 2015
Sillars, Les. "When To Use Your Head." Alberta Report / Newsmagazine 23.49 (1996): 50.
Academic Search Premier. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
Fey, James T, and Christian R. Hirsch. Calculators in Mathematics Education. Reston,Va:
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 1992. Print.
"Hate math? New teaching methods might help!" Albuquerque Journal 1. Web. 4 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.abqjournal.com/561897/news/hate-math-new-teaching-methods-mighthelp.html>.