ISO layman scholarly articles on advanced math in HS

[Anonymous]

My inputs into various search engines are not resulting in the types articles I'm seeking.

I have young elementary kids, but I see the pressure on students building. My spouse and I have STEM degrees and professional experience in that arena. I know kids are capable of doing "more" academically, but I worry that doing more is at the cost of losing some other vital life-skills. Recently I've been most concerned about some of the advanced math in high school and the path kids take to get there. I see ES kids getting what I think is better number sense, but at the expense of the ability to spew out essential math facts. For instance, it concerns me when I see 3rd and 4th graders still counting on fingers. Maybe our kids are not getting enough depth in mathematics because schools, parents and the push for more STEM jobs is ways pushing to move on to the next level. In reality I wonder if spend more time on certain areas before moving forward would yield better results.

During a recent conversation with a friend with HS kids, she mentioned that her kid will be taking differential equations next year. Her kid is bright, took AAP, has lots of AP classes under her belt, etc. I just question whether she and her peers can truly grasp the concepts of that higher level math. I'm sure she will be able to solve the equations, but there is so much more that coming up with the answers. Are most advanced HS brains really able to wrap their heads around it? I've met plenty of people who have taken and passed diff-eq classes in college, but only a small handful truly understood it at my public Ivy.

Maybe my perception is wrong. Maybe most AP HS kids today are totally understand diff-eq, even though my gut says no. Please help me learn more, so I can guide my kids to a good path as they make their way through school. I know all these AP classes look good on college applications, but they Don't seem to be worth the price HSers pay if they don't truly understand the material.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My inputs into various search engines are not resulting in the types articles I'm seeking.

I have young elementary kids, but I see the pressure on students building. My spouse and I have STEM degrees and professional experience in that arena. I know kids are capable of doing "more" academically, but I worry that doing more is at the cost of losing some other vital life-skills. Recently I've been most concerned about some of the advanced math in high school and the path kids take to get there. I see ES kids getting what I think is better number sense, but at the expense of the ability to spew out essential math facts. For instance, it concerns me when I see 3rd and 4th graders still counting on fingers. Maybe our kids are not getting enough depth in mathematics because schools, parents and the push for more STEM jobs is ways pushing to move on to the next level. In reality I wonder if spend more time on certain areas before moving forward would yield better results.

During a recent conversation with a friend with HS kids, she mentioned that her kid will be taking differential equations next year. Her kid is bright, took AAP, has lots of AP classes under her belt, etc. I just question whether she and her peers can truly grasp the concepts of that higher level math. I'm sure she will be able to solve the equations, but there is so much more that coming up with the answers. Are most advanced HS brains really able to wrap their heads around it? I've met plenty of people who have taken and passed diff-eq classes in college, but only a small handful truly understood it at my public Ivy.

Maybe my perception is wrong. Maybe most AP HS kids today are totally understand diff-eq, even though my gut says no. Please help me learn more, so I can guide my kids to a good path as they make their way through school. I know all these AP classes look good on college applications, but they Don't seem to be worth the price HSers pay if they don't truly understand the material.

PS I posted in the college forum hoping to get inputs from
Parents who are seeing the effects of their kids' HS classes on their college performance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My inputs into various search engines are not resulting in the types articles I'm seeking.

I have young elementary kids, but I see the pressure on students building. My spouse and I have STEM degrees and professional experience in that arena. I know kids are capable of doing "more" academically, but I worry that doing more is at the cost of losing some other vital life-skills. Recently I've been most concerned about some of the advanced math in high school and the path kids take to get there. I see ES kids getting what I think is better number sense, but at the expense of the ability to spew out essential math facts. For instance, it concerns me when I see 3rd and 4th graders still counting on fingers. Maybe our kids are not getting enough depth in mathematics because schools, parents and the push for more STEM jobs is ways pushing to move on to the next level. In reality I wonder if spend more time on certain areas before moving forward would yield better results.

During a recent conversation with a friend with HS kids, she mentioned that her kid will be taking differential equations next year. Her kid is bright, took AAP, has lots of AP classes under her belt, etc. I just question whether she and her peers can truly grasp the concepts of that higher level math. I'm sure she will be able to solve the equations, but there is so much more that coming up with the answers. Are most advanced HS brains really able to wrap their heads around it? I've met plenty of people who have taken and passed diff-eq classes in college, but only a small handful truly understood it at my public Ivy.

Maybe my perception is wrong. Maybe most AP HS kids today are totally understand diff-eq, even though my gut says no. Please help me learn more, so I can guide my kids to a good path as they make their way through school. I know all these AP classes look good on college applications, but they Don't seem to be worth the price HSers pay if they don't truly understand the material.

PS I posted in the college forum hoping to get inputs from
Parents who are seeing the effects of their kids' HS classes on their college performance.

My kid took multi, linear algebra, complex variables and diff. equations in HS and that experience has really helped him at the rigorous college environment.