Learning skills and remembering facts in mathematics are important but they are only the means to an end. Facts and skills are not important in themselves. They are important when we need them to solve a problem. Students will remember facts and skills easily when they use them to solve real problems. As well as using mathematics to solve real-life problems, students should also be taught about the different parts of mathematics, and how they fit together. Mathematics can be taught using a step-by-step approach to a topic but it is important to show that many topics are linked, as shown in the diagram on the next page. It is also.
