From counting fingers through buying a cup of coffee to planning for retirement, math is with us every day. It is one of four technical STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) defining current educational philosophy, and is also a dynamic life skill. Even if it isn’t the easiest subject for everyone, think of it as a work friend collaborating on a big project, able and willing to pull its own weight.
Doing math increases abilities in problem- solving, critical thinking, and organization. It’s obviously important to careers in the sciences such as physics and chemistry, for astronomers, pharmacists, engineers, and accountants, in finance, statistics, and computer programming. But it’s also a skill we all use without a second thought. Can you imagine a carpenter not using a tape measure? Walls would be crooked, floors tilted, doors falling open on their own. We pay sales tax or income tax and calculate percentage of tips of sales prices on a daily basis. We follow recipes, carefully calculating measurements in cooking. Reading and writing music is all about numbers, not only in the length of notes and rests, but the pleasing vibrations of harmonics, or displeasing sounds of dissonance. We determine fair pay by calculating our hourly wages. Our wrist watches not only help us understand time but keep track of healthful information—blood pressure, oxygen levels, heart rate—and exercise data including total steps, hours moving, and calories spent. We gain or lose weight by balancing intake and workout numbers. We plan trips, book vacations, fill a gas tank, determine mileage, and manage time by the numbers. Comparative shopping and getting the best deal require an understanding of more and less as does living on a budget, taking out a loan, and balancing a checkbook. We find numbers when sowing a garden and following a pattern, stitching fabrics, or pursuing needle crafts. Even understanding game theory and keeping score invite the use of basic arithmetic. How many other ways do you use numbers each day?
If there is a disquiet, recognize it, and examine the myriad numbers mastered in a day. Avoid the insidious communiqués about math anxiety, conquering one small bite at a time and having fun. Play games, roll dice, bake a pie, sing a song, or count those sheep before you sleep. Math makes inroads into so many parts of our lives. Embrace it for a count of three and enjoy.
