By Lim Wannaphahoon (Aj.Lim)
Published: 31 Aug. 2024
Growing up in our family pharmacy, numbers were a constant presence in my life. Whether it was counting inventory, tallying up medicine tablets, or calculating and making change, every task was a mental exercise. These daily routines weren't just chores; they were opportunities to practice and refine my addition and subtraction skills in real time. Over time, these experiences sharpened my mental math abilities, making basic calculations second nature. I firmly believe that these early experiences in the pharmacy laid a strong foundation for my mathematical abilities.
School introduced me to a different set of challenges—especially when it came to multiplication. Fortunately, my elementary school math teacher emphasized the importance of mastering multiplication tables. I spent countless hours drilling multiplication problems, driven not just by the desire to learn, but also by the excitement of competition. I won one of the awards in a multiplication contest in grade 4, a testament to the dedication I had put into honing this essential skill.
Although there were no formal drills for division when we moved to a different grade with a new math teacher, the arithmetic skills I had developed—addition, subtraction, and multiplication—proved invaluable. Since division builds on these foundational operations, my strong grasp of the basics allowed me to approach division problems with confidence and ease.
As I advanced to middle and high school, the benefits of my early experiences became increasingly evident. My ability to calculate quickly and accurately provided a significant advantage when tackling complex algebra problems. The faster you can work through basic calculations, the better you can anticipate the next steps in a solution, which often makes the difference between finding the answer and getting stuck. While I wasn't the fastest or most accurate in the classroom, I was fast and accurate enough to "see ahead" and navigate through challenging problems.
Looking back, I find it hard to imagine a student struggling with basic arithmetic succeeding in algebra, or someone who makes errors in 4 out of 10 arithmetic calculations. It would be nearly impossible for them to solve complex problems, as precise arithmetic is crucial for the smaller steps in problem-solving. A single miscalculation can easily lead to a dead end, preventing you from finding the solution. (In other words, a mistake in your calculations midway can lead you down the wrong path, leaving you lost and unable to solve the problem.)
In today's world, where calculators are always within reach, there's been a noticeable decline in the emphasis on mental math skills. I see this as a missed opportunity for children to develop the foundational abilities essential for success in more advanced math. If students can't confidently perform basic calculations on their own, they'll struggle to grasp the more abstract concepts of algebra and higher-level math. The skills I honed during those countless hours of practice in the pharmacy and at school highlight the critical importance of a strong arithmetic foundation for long-term mathematical success. At theMYMATH, this philosophy is at the core of everything we do. Building a solid foundation in math isn't just about calculations, but it is also about laying the groundwork for future math success. Start with the basics, and watch your mathematical confidence grow with us today!