“This is a unique book, a remarkable fusion of general insights and specific practices. Teachers will be grateful for its clear and consistent pedagogy, parents will derive concrete help from its practical examples, and education experts will mutter, ‘I wish I had thought of this approach.’ The myth of ability has been laid to rest and I, for one, am very thankful for it.”
— Ursula M. Franklin, PhD, FRSC, University Professor Emerita, University of Toronto
“Mighton’s gift is his ability to render difficult problems into steps that he believes students cannot fail to grasp. This skill is evident throughout the text, which is written in prose as lucid and inspiring as Mighton’s potentially revolutionary approach to a challenging topic.”
— Quill & Quire
“By boldly criticizing the disastrous culture of math failure rooted in too many of our schools, John Mighton reaffirms a neglected justice: the civil right of every student to competent instruction. . . . Mighton might well become the nation’s math conscience. He not only knows that all children can master genuine mathematics but has repeatedly proved so with his brilliant, no-nonsense tutoring program.”
— Andrew Nikiforuk, education writer and award-winning author
“The theories outlined in The Myth of Ability have a wonderfully simple logic to them. It’s as if John has allowed himself to be back in a child’s brain and develop a whole math program that operates from that perspective. . . .
“His idea that every child should be able to succeed, and that the aim of good teaching should be to narrow the gap between the weakest and the strongest students is, sadly, a revolutionary one. And his excitement about his idea is contagious.”
— Annie Kidder, People for Education
“John Mighton understands the power of simplicity. He understands patience. He understands the language of maths. His approach to teaching maths is obvious, and no one’s ever thought of it before. The Myth of Ability is so fresh that it’s revolutionary.”
— John Marsden, award-winning Australian author of the Tomorrow series