"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 2011-01-27 10:19:28 +0000, "Bill Grey" said:


"Martin" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 27 Jan 2011 09:22:15 -0000, "Bill Grey"

wrote:


Nick says people can use a calculator, but I have yet to see anybody
doing this
in a supermarket, for example. Our two kids did arithmetic using a
calculator
at school. I don't think they even own one nowadays.

If you can't learn tables and can't learn the mathematical tricks,
then any sane person would buy one.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

It's no great encumberance to learn the times table at an early age -
it
can
only help in future years.
There maybe more than one way to skin a cat, but it doesn't hurt to
have
more than one string to your bow.

Children at the age that times tables were taught could readily absorb
the
information, why deny them such a wonderful experience of learning a
technique that could serve them well in their future
lives.

They can also absorb new languages at the same age.
--

Martin

Definitely !

Bill

Yes, I've always thought it a big mistake that schools wait so long to
introduce a foreign language into the curriculum. I started learning
French when I was 4 and while no way am I fluent, I speak fairly well for
a foreigner. I just don't remember actually learning verbs because we
started so young and I was very lucky to have good French teachers at all
the schools I went to.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

I spoke Welsh long before I was formerly tought Welsh. Funnily, it was
then the trouble starrted.
The difference between colloquial Welsh and grammatical or literary Welsh
was a bit traumatic. The differences were slight, the pronunciation
sometimes, and learning the correct word as opposed to a word distorted by
collquialism in another ( eg in English innit as opposed to isn't it, or is
it not)

Bill