Whole-number arithmetic is a core content area of primary mathematics, which lays the foundation for children's later conceptual development. This paper focuses on teaching whole-number multiplication (WNM) to build a stepping stone for children's proportional reasoning. Our intention in writing this paper is to obtain a practice-based perspective…

In Asia, some children are taught a calculation technique known as the 'mental abacus'. Previous research indicated that mental abacus experts can perform extraordinary feats of mental arithmetic, but it disagrees as to whether the technique improves working memory. The present study extended and clarified these findings by contrasting performance…

The current study continues our effort to document a shared sign language in Japan--Miyakubo Sign Language (Miyakubo SL) on Ehime-Oshima Island, located in the western part of Japan. After a brief sociological, geographical, and cultural introduction to Miyakubo SL, the topics of numeral expressions and timelines in Miyakubo SL are discussed. A…

Research indicates that mathematical understanding before formal schooling influences later attainment. This study investigated the mathematical activities of preschool-aged children in Japan, a neglected topic despite the high mathematical attainment of Japanese children. Preschool activities were investigated using surveys, observations, and…

This article explores the morphological process of numeral incorporation in Japanese Sign Language. Numeral incorporation is defined and the available research on numeral incorporation in signed language is discussed. The numeral signs in Japanese Sign Language are then introduced and followed by an explanation of the numeral morphemes which are…

This paper investigates how the selected three East Asian countries--Japan, Korea, and Taiwan-- introduce and develop ideas related to fractions and fraction addition and subtraction compared to the Common Core State Standards of Mathematics and EngageNY. Looking at curricular approaches used across countries can provide a better picture of what…

A list number recall test in English (L2) was administered to both Japanese (L1) students with beginning-level English proficiency who attended evening high school and Japanese college students with intermediate-level English proficiency. The major findings were that, only for the high school group, the small numbers 1 and 2 in middle positions of…

This is an account of events in a real classroom when the notion that there is a distinction between calculation by counting, and calculation by structuring is a focus for learning. Pupils have "hands-on" experiences that support their understanding of "number". The teaching "aid" might be unfashionable in…

There are now strong arguments for building closer links between children's understanding of numbers and number operations and the beginning of algebraic (relational) thinking in the primary school years. Rarely, however, do Australian mathematics textbooks give enough guidance for teachers to use good activities in the classroom to promote…

Surprisingly little is known about the extent of children's knowledge about number beyond their ability to recite, read and write numbers and count quantities of objects. There is little information on the extent to which children are aware of how number is used in their everyday environment or of how much they gain from such early exposure. The…

BIT BY BIT is an encryption game that is designed to improve students' understanding of natural language processing in computers. Participants encode clear words into binary code using an encryption key and exchange them in the game. BIT BY BIT enables participants who do not understand the concept of binary numbers to perform the process of…

This study examined whether singular/plural marking in a language helps children learn the meanings of the words "one," "two," and "three." First, CHILDES data in English, Russian (which marks singular/plural), and Japanese (which does not) were compared for frequency, variability, and contexts of number-word use.…

Using cognitive ethnography as a guiding framework, we investigated US and Japanese fourth-grade teachers' domain knowledge of key fraction representations in individual interviews. The framework focused on revealing cultural trends in participants' organization of knowledge and their interpretations of that organization. Our analyses of the…

Japanese prefer odd numbers, whereas Westerners emphasize even numbers, an observation that is clear from the distribution of number-related words in Japanese and English dictionaries. In this article, the author explains why these two cultures differ by surveying the history of numbers, including yin-yang thought from ancient China, ancient Greek…

Proposes the hypothesis that preschoolers have number concepts based on the numbers 1-5 rather than on the decimal structure. Results suggest that children understand numbers to 5 as a privileged anchor. Proposes a new model for a representational system of numbers. (Author/DR)