Curious that in schools today, like in many years past, students generally sit and receive information disseminated by their respective teachers. Memory, of course, is a part of the learning process. How else do we retain sight words that follow no rules, or multiplication tables or vocabulary? A student must have a reasonably efficient system for receiving, storing & recalling facts that are shared in the classroom. We should be very happy, then, when a child reads a question, finds a “clue” word, and correctly states that “this means you…” (fill in the blank).

Just yesterday, one of my students said exactly this after reading a math word problem: “The question says ‘left,’ so I should subtract.” I responded with a simple, “Why?” “That’s what my teacher says,” was his answer. I added, “What should you subtract, then?” “I’m not sure, so I’ll just guess,” he said. “Why do you have to guess” I asked? “Because I’m not sure what to do and I just need to get an answer,” he matter-of-factly said. After much questioning and dialogue, I asked if he might try drawing what was happening to better understand it. He quickly offered that he had been told not to do that, because after so much instruction, he should already know how to understand the problem without the aid of a model. “I just need an answer,” he started again, “We’re looking for clue words and trying to remember what to do.”

Did you catch it? What’s the point of doing this assignment? Memory, rather than, or maybe in spite of, understanding. Although we can certainly discuss the educator’s methods and the student’s difficulties, don’t miss the point. Remembering is part of learning, and not learning itself. Without the ability to conceptualize, comprehend and apply necessary actions, connections will not be made – the essence of thinking and learning! Adapting and transferring information to new scenarios can only happen if not simply the content, but also the underlying processes are understood. Some will intuitively catch the reasons for why or when or how certain steps or facts are used, but so very many do not. In a fact-memorizing-for-the-moment education culture, it’s especially important to give students reasons to want to “get it” beyond the need for an answer. If all they seek are answers, they’ll miss out on the joy of discovery. Remember that!