There comes a time in every homeschooling mother’s life when they look toward their child, and see a young lady or man staring back at them (sometimes they have to look up, because the child somehow became taller than them in the process of growing up), and asking the question that has plagued young people for generations:
“Mom, why, oh why, do I have to learn Algebra if I don’t plan to be a scientist?”
I’ve had to think about the answer to that question, and here’s what I’ve come up with. Algebra is important not just because it is the math underlying the applied sciences (including the science behind the computer I am typing on right now), but because problem solving skills are important in all of life.
You see, the math itself, while useful for it’s own applications (science-y stuff), also has a great secondary use. As you learn algebra, and as you work out algebraic problems using the proper formulas, and using the proper steps, you are preparing for a lifetime of problem solving. Your problems in the future may or may not be math related, but they will involve knowing what formula applies to the right situation (including what scriptural princeple to apply to the situation, if any), determining the proper steps to dealing with the problem, and working out the problem with patience.
With algebra you have to think about and plan the best way to come to a solution, and this is a skill everyone needs more of.
