Math: Explaining basic concepts behind math problems improves children's learning

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From Denny: Whew! Well, it's about time to do the obvious if you want kids to really learn what's going on and why! What took the educators so long to figure out kids are capable of learning concepts?

Following is an excerpt. Just click on the title link for more of this very interesting study.

"New research from Vanderbilt University has found students benefit more from being taught the concepts behind math problems rather than the exact procedures to solve the problems. The findings offer teachers new insights on how best to shape math instruction to have the greatest impact on student learning...

In math class, teachers typically demonstrate a procedure for solving a problem and then have children practice solving related problems, often with minimal explanation for why things work."