Calculators in Classrooms?
Calculators in Elementary School: Helpful Tool or Hindrance?
The question of whether calculators should be used in elementary school classrooms is a hot topic. Some people believe calculators are helpful tools that can make learning math easier. Others argue that they can actually hurt a student's understanding of math. Let's look at both sides of this argument.
Argument for Calculators
Calculators can be useful for checking answers. If a student does a problem by hand, they can use a calculator to see if they got it right. This can help them catch mistakes and learn from them. Calculators can also help students solve more complex problems. Sometimes, the focus should be on the problem-solving process, not just the calculation. A calculator can help with the calculation part, so students can focus on the bigger picture.
Argument Against Calculators
However, relying too much on calculators can be harmful. Elementary school is when students learn the basic building blocks of math. They need to understand how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide without a calculator. If they always use a calculator, they might not learn these important skills. This can make it harder for them to do more advanced math later on. Also, using calculators all the time can make students less confident in their math abilities.
- Hindrance:
- Something that makes it more difficult to do something.
- Building blocks:
- Basic skills or information that you need to learn before you can learn more complex things.
- complex:
- Having many connected parts, or being tricky and complicated to solve.
- confident:
- Feeling sure about your own abilities or ideas.
- approach:
- A specific way of thinking about or doing something.
- calculation:
- The process of working out an answer using mathematical operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division.
One passage, many ways to practice
Reading-skill questions, word work and writing prompts — all built from this text.
Main Idea
Identify the central idea and explain how important details develop it.
Summarize
Select, organize, and restate the most important information without adding opinion.
Purpose
Analyze what the author aims to do and how choices serve audience and purpose.
Structure
Analyze how sections and organizational choices build the text's ideas or effects.
Fact & Opinion
Distinguish verifiable statements from judgments, beliefs, and preferences in context.
Claims & Evidence
Trace and evaluate how claims are supported by reasons and evidence.
Vocabulary
Practice words from the passage with a printable worksheet.
Writing Prompts
Use the passage as a springboard for short written responses, from personal reflection to evidence-based arguments.
Fix the Sentence
Practice editing sentences drawn from this passage with a printable worksheet.
Ready to use this passage in class?
Start free with the Mixed worksheet and 3 PDF downloads each week. Focused skill sets depend on plan.
Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What is the main question being discussed in the passage?
- 2According to the passage, what is one way calculators can be helpful in elementary school?
Where this passage belongs
You Might Also Like
About this opinion / argumentative passage for Upper Elementary
“Calculators in Classrooms?” is a opinion / argumentative reading passage about Education, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 2 minutes to read (298 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.