Japan vs America

The methods of teaching math, as well as the content being taught, is different in Japan than in North America. Based on Thomas Judson's article "Japan: A Different Model Of Mathematics Education", topics are taught in a different order, for instance negative numbers are not taught in Japan until junior high school. This could be in part because, as explained in the newsletter I have linked below, the Japanese teach fewer topics at a time than in North America. In North America, we teach basically the same topics year after year with an increase in difficulty, for instance teaching how to add single digit numbers one year and two digit numbers the next. Japan, on the there hand, focuses extensively on particular topics each year and decrease the number of topics each year, this helps students focus more intimately on each topic.

The method of teaching is also different in Japan. Instead of starting with the teacher explaining the methods, Japanese teachers allow students to figure out, first individually and then in groups, how to tackle the problem at hand. I believe this method works better because it enables students to find their own way of solving problems and logically understand how it works, rather than memorizing a formula. They are also allowed to make mistakes, which is valuable in the learning process.

I feel that we can learn from Japan's method of teaching, which helps students develop a true understanding of the processes involved. They can learn from us that children are capable of understanding certain concepts at a younger age.