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An opinion essay argues that schools should treat explicit math instruction and practice as foundational, drawing a comparison with recent efforts to improve reading instruction. The essay cites low math proficiency and criticizes approaches it says can leave students without enough guidance; its claims are commentary, not a new policy announcement or research finding.
The 74 has published an opinion essay calling for schools to put more emphasis on direct math instruction and practice, arguing that students need fluency with basic procedures and facts before they can tackle more advanced mathematical thinking. The piece compares its proposed shift with changes in reading instruction, but it is commentary, not a new policy or study.
The essay argues that education debates have too often treated explicit teaching as inferior to discovery-based or inquiry-based learning. Its author says beginners benefit from being shown how to perform a task, then practicing it—an approach the writer illustrates with learning knife skills. The analogy supports the essay’s case for guided instruction followed by practice, though it does not by itself establish which methods work best in math classrooms.
The piece names Stanford education professor Jo Boaler as a critic of presenting mathematics as procedures to memorize and apply. It quotes her as saying that “times table repetition, practice, and timed testing is unnecessary and damaging,” and notes her criticism of what she calls excessive “drill and practice.” The essay disputes that emphasis, arguing that memorized math facts can free students to focus on more complex problems.
As evidence of the challenge, the essay says that 50% of eighth graders taking the National Assessment of Educational Progress in 2019 did not reach the cited proficiency benchmark. The supplied source cuts off before giving the full sentence or the benchmark’s exact wording, so the statistic’s precise interpretation cannot be established from the material provided.
Why Basic Math Fluency Matters
The debate concerns how schools balance teacher guidance, practice and student exploration. If students have not mastered basic facts and procedures, the essay argues, more advanced work can be slowed by the effort required for routine calculations. That makes instructional choices relevant to teachers, school leaders and families weighing what effective math lessons should include.
The comparison with reading is also politically and practically consequential. The essay points to state and local efforts to align literacy teaching with the science of reading, and asks whether math education should face a similar reassessment. But the analogy is an argument, not proof that reading reforms can be transferred directly to mathematics. The relevant question is how different approaches affect learning, and the supplied source does not provide a systematic comparison of outcomes.
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The Reading-Reform Comparison
The essay says public attention to reading instruction grew after Emily Hanford’s Sold a Story podcast series and amid state- and city-level initiatives promoting practices grounded in the science of reading. It frames the remaining literacy debate as one about whether policies change classroom practice.
The author argues that the reading dispute reflects a wider disagreement over explicit instruction. In math, the essay groups approaches described as discovery, constructivist or inquiry-based under that debate. It acknowledges that inquiry can help students develop deeper understanding, particularly at more advanced levels, while arguing that beginners also need clear instruction and practice. The source identifies no new school policy, official action or research release tied to the essay.
““times table repetition, practice, and timed testing is unnecessary and damaging.””
— Jo Boaler, as quoted in the opinion essay
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Evidence Behind the Math Claims
The supplied material is an opinion essay, not an independent review of math instruction research. It does not specify which teaching methods should be used at each grade level, how much practice is appropriate, or how schools should combine direct instruction with inquiry. The source refers to a paper on minimal guidance published about 20 years earlier but does not provide its title or findings.
The cited 2019 eighth-grade statistic also lacks its complete surrounding sentence in the supplied text, leaving the exact proficiency category and interpretation unclear. The material does not report newer assessment results, identify a current policy change, or establish that a particular instructional approach caused student outcomes.
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What Schools Can Examine Next
The essay does not announce a next step or identify a scheduled policy decision. Its argument points toward continued scrutiny of classroom practice: whether students receive clear explanations, enough supported practice, and opportunities to apply their knowledge to more complex problems.
For readers evaluating the debate, the next useful evidence would include the full assessment data cited by the essay and research comparing instructional approaches across grades and student groups. Until those details are supplied, the piece is best understood as a call for reconsideration—not confirmation that schools have adopted a new model or that one method alone resolves math achievement concerns.
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Key Questions
What is the essay calling for?
It argues that schools should put more emphasis on explicit math instruction and practice, while leaving room for inquiry and deeper exploration.
Is this a new school policy or research report?
No. The source is an opinion essay published by The 74, with a version appearing on Slow Boring. It does not announce a policy or present a new study.
What does the essay say about Jo Boaler?
It cites Boaler’s criticism of procedural teaching, times-table repetition and drill-and-practice approaches as part of the debate over math instruction. Those positions are presented through the essay, not independently assessed in the supplied material.
What is the cited eighth-grade statistic?
The essay says 50% of eighth graders taking NAEP in 2019 did not meet a benchmark, but the supplied text ends before stating the benchmark’s full wording. The precise interpretation is unclear from the source provided.
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