Math textbooks with SEL

Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

More on SEL!

These math textbooks incorporate social-emotional learning – teaching growth mindset and managing anxiety.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/22/us/florida-rejected-textbooks.html

Some are questioning why this is good idea, and what might be wrong with it.

IS math about getting the right answer? yes. but HOW do you get there? Isn’t that important too?

For example:

Can you tell me how many ways there are to add integers up to 10?
10 + 0, 9 + 1, 8 + 2, 7 + 3, 6 + 4, 5 + 5 – and times two if you consider the order: 11 ways. There are many more if you can use more than 2 integers (eg 7 + 2 + 1).

Does this mean 5 + 4 is 10, though? no. The answers come out the same, but there is more to be learned here and in developing a love of math.