Mathematics can easily be defined as one of the most feared and hated subjects in the curriculum of the school system. In most cases this mentality is developed in primary education and further influenced by society and lasts throughout life. As the importance of mathematics becomes significant, the call to make it simpler becomes an attractive option. In the world we live in today, convenience and speed tend to be the attributes we find most attractive. Proponents of using basic calculator functions and graphing skills in school have gained popularity as they help with how quickly a student can complete a question and help answer more complex mathematical applications. On the other hand, critics insist that with these conveniences the rational issue of calculators weakens very important mathematical skills early in the developmental period of their education. So, the intriguing question becomes: Does using a calculator help or harm our students? We will now investigate the studies reported in the literature that have explored these questions with very convincing arguments. Before 1975, calculators in the classroom were not common, as they were rare and expensive (Banks, 2011, p.7). However, during the 1980s, some states provided free calculators to students. The Conference Board of Mathematical Science has stated that calculators motivate students to do more advanced mathematics. More than thirty years after its invention, the electronic calculator has gone from a machine capable of performing only simple operations such as addition and subtraction to a machine capable of performing highly sophisticated calculations, not only faster, but with a degree of much higher precision. At the same time, the cost of a basic calculation... half paper... teacher's guide young children may learn about larger numbers or even negative numbers at an earlier age than ever before .Time dedicated exploration is necessary for effective use of the calculator. If students use the calculator to understand the relationship between the circumferences and diameters of many different round objects, they can overcome problems of correct division and watch the concept of pi emerge. Doing such work adequately, however, requires that the teacher make time to allow students to work with their material until the concept is discovered and internalized. Once this time is set aside, the calculator will repay it with more time available for research, developing hypotheses and verifying them. Without anxiety about basic mathematical processes, children can focus on the applications and meanings of the world of numbers.
tags