Presented are the results of two pilot studies about multidigit addition and subtraction. The results are discussed in relation to possible alternative sequences in the teaching of addition and subtraction and the relationship between basic fact mastery and numeration concept attainment. (CW)

Described is a procedure for teaching children to learn to count on with finger patterns after they have learned to count with objects. The technique has been found to be successful with children of all ability levels at grades one and two. (RH)

Over the past few years a substantial body of research has yielded evidence that the semantic structure of elementary arithmetic word problems influences children's strategies to solve them. The study reported in this document considered three other task characteristics in addition to semantic structure: (1) the order of presentation of the two…

This study documented the spontaneously derived strategies that children use which may play a key role in the transition from counting to recall of number facts. For these strategies, the child uses a small set of known number facts to derive the solution to unknown number facts. How training in the use of derived strategies influences the…

Eight sixth-grade students received individualized instruction on the addition and subtraction of fractions in a one-to-one setting for 6 weeks. Instruction was specifically designed to build upon the student's prior knowledge of fractions. It was determined that all students possessed a rich store of prior knowledge about parts of wholes in real…

Three factors associated with arithmetical processes (sequence skills, arithmetical strategies, and information processing capacity) were measured in individual interviews with 35 first-grade pupils, aged 7.6 to 8.6, in one Finnish school. Mathematics achievement was determined from information supplied by teachers. Attitudes were assessed twice,…

Eight sixth-grade students received individualized instruction on the addition and subtraction of fractions in a one-to-one setting for 6 weeks. Instruction was specifically designed to build upon the student's prior knowledge of fraction ideas and to emphasize estimation. It was determined that all students possessed a rich store of prior…

Describes a study designed to investigate the relationship between students' learning of the standard double-digit addition algorithm and basic fact mastery or numeration concepts. Results suggest basic fact mastery and knowledge of numeration concepts may not be as necessary as previously assumed to learning multidigit addition. (PK)

Three studies on the development of number concepts (counting, addition, subtraction, and place value) in seven- to nine-year-olds considered low attainers in mathematics were conducted. The search for a descriptive framework, the development of a diagnostic assessment instrument, and a longitudinal study are reported. (MNS)

This study used knowledge derived from classroom-based research on teaching and laboratory-based research on children's learning to improve teachers' classroom instruction and students' achievement. Twenty first-grade teachers, assigned randomly to an experimental treatment, participated in a month-long workshop in which they studied findings on…

An editorial and abstracts for 12 research reports are contained in this issue. The editorial by Robert E. Reys focuses on the dangers of publishing poor research. The abstracts, each with a critique, concern research on a game for logical reasoning, wait-time and sex differences, vocabulary instruction on ratio and proportion, male-female…