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"Erasing the divide that keeps many from grasping numbers," by Laura Pappano. Boston Globe, 8 December 2002.
Many do not question "the common wisdom in the United States that mathematical ability is somehow innate, and there are people who, no matter how hard they try, will not be able to achieve in mathematics" and that "struggling in math is socially acceptable, while having trouble reading is reason for worry." In addition, many make assumptions based on gender---that boys are better at math. Among those quoted regarding their thoughts on the matter are some teachers, Johnny Lott (president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics), and Keith Devlin (author of The Math Gene: How Mathematical Thinking Evolved And Why Numbers Are Like Gossip). This was one of several articles on mathematics published in the newspaper's section that focused mainly on high school math education (in which some teachers have experimented with Japanese and Russian methods).
--- Annette Emerson
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