...Today, a feature above the fold in the Los Angeles Times read STUDENT MATH SCORES SOAR. Further down, the piece notes that the new high scores are being seen especially in the fourth and eighth grades.
A fourth grader fixed a computer problem for me earlier this year.
My theory is that working/playing on a computer demands concentration, forces the user to seek solutions to problems, and improves analytical and technical ability. Some computer games encourage abstract thinking and, like chess, the ability to form strategies several or more steps ahead of the game. All of the above are involved in math, in one way or another.
I am going on about this because so many parents think it is harmful for their kids to sit at their computers and play games. I don't Not mentally, anyway. Physically? Well, many children are far too fat, and it's not all from sitting in front of TV.
