Why I love math
The comparison of early maths (algebra in particular) to spelling is spot on. It also reminds me of a somewhat wry observation from one of my mathematics professors: that if we taught spelling and grammar exclusively through crossword puzzles and competitive Scrabble, many fewer people would learn to spell and write grammatically.<p>The analogy is to teaching algebra through endless, dry repetition of problem solving. Some of you won't get what the big deal is; you're the ones who are good at 'crossword puzzles'.