Trachtenberg Math
On January 16, 2009, Dr. Okpara Nosakhere, posted a blog titled: Education or Indoctrination. I have been contemplating the question: Are African-american children being educated or indoctrinated? So, I went browsing thru my home-schooling files. In my search of files, I came across the Trachtenberg speed methodology, that i used with my math curriculum. This method is being used in Switzerland [P]ublic schools. Childeren as young 8, have master this system of computation.
Example:
Multiply 901247 by 2.
0 + 7 * 2 = 14. Write down 4, carry 1.
1 + 4 * 2 = 9. Write down 9.
0 + 2 * 2 = 4. Write down 4.
0 + 1 * 2 = 2. Write down 2.
0 + 0 * 2 = 0. Write down 0.
0 + 9 * 2 = 18. Write down 8, carry 1.
1 + 0 * 2 = 1. Write down 1.
Answer: 901247 * 2 = 1802494.
There are other methods for additon, subtraction, and square roots. Now, if an 8 year old child in Switzerland can do this calculation mentally, why is that an 8 year old African-American child can not?
A brief background on Dr.Jakow Trachtenberg:
The late Professor Jakow Trachtenberg was the founder of the Mathematical Institute in Zurich, Switzerland.
He was a Russian, born in Odessa on 17 June 1888 and studied engineering.
While still in his early twenties, he became Chief Engineer with 11,000 men under his supervision.
After the Czar of Russia was overthrown, he escaped to Germany where he became very critical of Hitler. He was later imprisoned.
Most fellow prisoners around him gave up hope and died even before being sent to their death. He realized that if he wanted to stay alive, he had to occupy his mind with something else rather than focus on the hopeless conditions surrounding them. He set his mind on developing methods to perform speed mathematics.
With the help of his wife, he escaped from prison and fled to Switzerland.
There, he taught his speed math system to young children. It was very successful.
If African American children are not, being [E]ducated or [I]ndoctrinated, then What?
Example:
Multiply 901247 by 2.
0 + 7 * 2 = 14. Write down 4, carry 1.
1 + 4 * 2 = 9. Write down 9.
0 + 2 * 2 = 4. Write down 4.
0 + 1 * 2 = 2. Write down 2.
0 + 0 * 2 = 0. Write down 0.
0 + 9 * 2 = 18. Write down 8, carry 1.
1 + 0 * 2 = 1. Write down 1.
Answer: 901247 * 2 = 1802494.
There are other methods for additon, subtraction, and square roots. Now, if an 8 year old child in Switzerland can do this calculation mentally, why is that an 8 year old African-American child can not?
A brief background on Dr.Jakow Trachtenberg:
The late Professor Jakow Trachtenberg was the founder of the Mathematical Institute in Zurich, Switzerland.
He was a Russian, born in Odessa on 17 June 1888 and studied engineering.
While still in his early twenties, he became Chief Engineer with 11,000 men under his supervision.
After the Czar of Russia was overthrown, he escaped to Germany where he became very critical of Hitler. He was later imprisoned.
Most fellow prisoners around him gave up hope and died even before being sent to their death. He realized that if he wanted to stay alive, he had to occupy his mind with something else rather than focus on the hopeless conditions surrounding them. He set his mind on developing methods to perform speed mathematics.
With the help of his wife, he escaped from prison and fled to Switzerland.
There, he taught his speed math system to young children. It was very successful.
If African American children are not, being [E]ducated or [I]ndoctrinated, then What?
As a mathematics educator, I am quite familiar with this method of multiplication as well as several others. The goal of education is to provide learners with tools (choices) for solving problems. When the tools make sense to the user, the only outcome available is the correct one.
Those teachers that say that math is hard say that because they only know how to 'do' math. Real teachers understand mathematics and are able to explain in a manner that makes sense to the learner. You will find that most math teachers 'do' math while the gifted few, truly understand mathematics. These teachers teach their students to understand what they are doing and, therefore, their students have a greater chance of reaching success.