How to Teach Math?
Teaching in general is best done by &quot;peeling the onion&quot;.<p>By that I mean, start with the highest level explanation first, form an understanding of that, and then repeat the same lesson but at a lower level of abstraction. You have to be able to walk before you can run.<p>First, explain the concept like I&#x27;m 5. Use examples that provide real world context for why the concept is useful. Demonstrate examples of using the concept to solve a problem.<p>Then explain the concept again, with an added layer of complexity. Go through the same examples with this layer of complexity.<p>And so on. The more levels, the easier it will be for people to ease into learning the concept. When confronted with something that&#x27;s too foreign, many people just shut off their brains, and convince themselves they&#x27;re &quot;bad at math&quot; etc.<p>The hardest part about learning is really breaking through the wall of initial understanding. Once you know the language, everything becomes a bit easier to learn.<p>I honestly think math education can be hugely improved with this approach. This could even be done in a &quot;high tech&quot; way, by having an e-textbook with a slider. Adjusting the slider changes the level of abstraction and granularity that it teaches the concepts at.<p>Final note.<p>Math should be taught with well named variables and contextual examples. Why use X and Y when you could carSpeed and carAcceleration? Or whatever, you get the point. People can&#x27;t relate at all to math when all the examples use generic terms without context. At that point it just becomes rote repetition. Obviously this commentary applies moreso to earlier math education.