Quite a bit of the arithmetic in elementary school contains elements of algebraic reasoning. After researching and testing a number of instructional strategies with Irish third graders, these authors found effective methods for cultivating a relational concept of equality in third-grade students. Understanding equality is fundamental to algebraic…

Learning mathematics has traditionally been thought of as a sequential progression. Children learn to count to 10, then to 20, and then to 100. They learn to add without regrouping and then with regrouping. The authors teach addition before multiplication and the two-times table before the six-times table. They usually teach division as a separate…

Presents activities using the Three Pigs to increase students' understanding of addition and subtraction. Argues that addition and subtraction are something that students can view and participate in when using the Three Pigs instead of just the manipulation of numbers. (ASK)

These activities invite students to use mathematics to explore interesting facts about famous buildings. The investigation for grades three to four focuses on the SkyDome, a sports arena in Toronto, Canada, and the investigation for grades five to six discusses the Empire State Building in New York City. Includes reproducible student worksheets.…

Describes a wide range of activities based on a grade-number theme of "two" in second grade, "three" in third grade, and "four" in fourth grade. (MKR/SW)