Background: Recent research showed that cross-notation magnitude knowledge of fractions and decimals was related to better performance in fraction arithmetic, but it remains unclear whether it made an independent contribution to fraction arithmetic longitudinally when other cognitive variables are considered. Aims: To examine the extent to which…

Mental rotation is positively related to arithmetic ability; however, the mechanism underlying this relationship remains unclear. The possible roles of working memory, place-value concept, and number line estimation in the correlation between mental rotation and whole-number computation were investigated. One hundred and fifty-five first-grade…

Numerical understanding and arithmetic skills are easier to acquire for whole numbers than fractions. The "integrated theory of numerical development" posits that, in addition to these differences, whole numbers and fractions also have important commonalities. In both, students need to learn how to interpret number symbols in terms of…

This study examines presentations of the distributive property (DP) in two widely used U.S. elementary text series and one main Chinese text series along three dimensions: problem contexts, typical problem types within each problem context, and variability in using the DP. In general, the two U.S. texts were found to resemble each other but to…

Discusses the history of different methods of representing numbers and how these representations facilitated counting and computing devices such as the abacus. (MDH)

Examines adults from China and Canada solving single-digit multiplication problems. Reports that Chinese adults were faster and made fewer errors than Canadian adults, and Chinese adults made more errors that reflect verbal-production processes that may occur after retrieval whereas Canadian adults made more errors that reflect retrieval…

A study of 1,848 Chinese children from birth through 6 years of age found that the ability of Chinese children in counting, counting backward, repeating digits, repeating reversed digits, and comparable activities was stronger than was indicated by the Stanford-Binet Scale and other data. (CB)

Presents an issue that arises in every country: How can teachers best help children master basic addition and subtraction facts? Discusses how this is handled in China and highlights the impact that language has on how children think about numbers. (KHR)

This study compared intact beginning fifth grade classes in one of the districts in Shanghai, People's Republic of China to American Norms on the KeyMath-Revised: A Diagnostic Inventory of Essential Mathematics (KeyMath-R) and the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT-3). The review of literature contrasted the two cultures with regard to students,…

Assessed the arithmetical competencies of 105 American and 104 Chinese elementary school students at the beginning and end of the U.S. school year. Results suggest the Chinese advantage in early mathematical development is related to a combination of language- and school-related factors. (MDM)