FOSSILS ET AL.

Using Old Tech to Teach My Daughter Even Older Math

Preparing my daughter to not be paralyzed in the absence of a microprocessor.

My handy-dandy slide rule. (Own image.)

In an age where a device in your pocket can solve calculus problems faster than you can say “mathlete,” it might seem a little eccentric (okay, downright bizarre) to teach a child how to use a slide rule. But there I was the other evening, standing at the kitchen table, sliding little plastic pieces back and forth with my daughter. We made numbers dance without a single battery in sight. And, as it turns out, there’s a method to this apparent madness.

You see, math has saved me from plenty of bad decisions. It has kept me from getting scammed when someone tried to short-change me at a register. It has thrown up red flags when a credit card offer sounded a little too good to be true. And it has made me take a hard pass on pyramid schemes that promise riches but mostly deliver awkward holiday dinners with family members who want me to “just hear them out.” Math is my trusted guide in these situations, and I want my daughter to have that same superpower.

We recently received my daughter’s progress report from school, and she is doing well in all subjects, including mathematics. She has a knack for understanding how numbers work, and…