How can children's natural perceptuo-motor skills be harnessed for teaching and learning mathematical structure? We address this question in the case of the integers. Existing research suggests that adult mental representations of integers recruit perceptuo-motor functionalities involving symmetry. Building on these findings, we designed a…

Two essays examine the number aspect of mathematics learning for three- to five-year olds. The first contextualizes the research and reviews its progress, focusing on how children learn in contexts where numbers occur incidentally, and on developing appropriate ways of challenging children to solve problems. The second essay presents a case study…

This booklet develops the theme that young children best learn mathematics through exploration of their environment. Several activities designed to promote the learning of concepts about space, numbers, and measurement are illustrated. Also discussed is the role of the teacher in sequencing instruction, selecting materials, and maintaining the…

An outline of practical experiences from which the concept of length measurement may be learned. (MM)

The author describes the areas in the kindergarten classroom--blocks, toys, cooking, games, job charts--which can be used in furthering a child's developing mathematical skills. (KC)

This curriculum guide presents a program of 20 open-ended math activities to be used to supplement the math programs in kindergarten, first, or second grade classrooms. The program consists of child-oriented counters and gameboards used to explore the concept of number from counting to making up and solving addition and subtraction equations. Each…

This study investigated children's ability to interpret a natural social situation, depicted in a narrative story, and to use their understanding of that situation to generate and apply a mental model of debts and assets in solving problems including negative quantities. Fifty-one American students from a parochial school in a predominantly middle…

This book is for teachers of children in preschool through grade 4. It is designed to help teachers make important decisions about the mathematics curriculum and give them some effective ways to help children attain the mathematical power needed for everyday use and for future careers. Relevant research in each chapter provides a framework and…