We all know that both math and reading are equally important skills. We already have an International Literacy Day.
What about a World Numeracy Day?
Numeracy must be given the importance it deserves in the world today.
In the United States, numeracy is also known as Quantitative Literacy.
Why is there such a focus on literacy when numeracy is just as important?
Most people would be somewhat embarrassed or ashamed to admit that they are illiterate. Yet we find people at every level of education, even university graduates, cheerfully admitting that they are innumerate. They justify it by claiming that math is not their strong point, or that they have other interests. They do not consider it important to have a basic, functional level of numeracy.
Literacy is a means of personal liberation and development and delivering individuals educational efforts. But so is numeracy.
Numeracy is the ability to reason with numbers and other mathematical concepts. To be numerically literate, a person has to be comfortable with logic and reasoning.
Basic mental math concepts such as multiplication and division are vital for functioning adults in society.
Let’s start encouraging using math in all homes and to inspire even more families to make math part of their day.
Important Mathematical Concepts for Numeracy – concepts such as, Rates and rates of change, percent, Times less, Graphs of the first and second derivative, Linear and exponential rates of growth, Accumulation, Installment loans, savings and weighted averages, Indexes and Condensed Measures, Estimation, Plane geometry, Graphical production and representation, Probability.
To that list, I add, misuse and misconception of Statistics and probability: correlation and causation.
What are the dangers of innumeracy?
First, the mathematician John Allen Paulos outlined some potential consequences of innumeracy
> Inaccurate reporting of news stories and insufficient skepticism in assessing these stories.
> Financial mismanagement and accumulation of consumer debt…
> Loss of money on gambling, in particular caused by belief in the gambler’s fallacy.
> Belief in pseudoscience. He believes that pseudoscience and innumeracy are related.
> Poor assessment of risk due to lack of understanding probability and statistics.
> Limited job prospects.
In his book: Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences
Second, with better numercay skills, you can discover the vast array of ways in which numbers are twisted and statistics are turned in order to fool the unsuspecting public, the subtle schemes used by advertisers, politicians, special interest lobbyists, stockbrokers, car dealers, and just about anybody who tries to impress us with numbers, charts, and graphs.
With better numercay skills you’ll be able to distinguish facts from hype, how these different groups misuse mathematics to sell products and propositions.
So, my message to parents:
Teach about maths to your kids through songs, stories, games and play. And, try to give your children positive early experiences of maths, this will help them to enjoy the subject and approach it with confidence.
And finally, Let’s have a World Numeracy Day! And celebrate it as we celebrate the International Literacy Day
Quantitative Reasoning for College Graduates: A Complement to the Standards
Benvitalis's Blog 