This new addition to Math Solutions "Supporting English Language Learners in Math Class series" offers a wealth of lessons and strategies for modifying grades 6-8 instruction. Section I presents an overview of teaching math to English learners: the research, the challenges, the linguistic demands of a math lesson, and specific strategies and…

Since the dawn of civilization, pictorial representations and symbols have been used to communicate simple statistics. Efficient and effective, they are still used today in the form of pictures and graphs to record and present data. Who can tie their shoes? How many calories are in your favorite food? Make data and graphs relevant and interesting…

This article provides activities that merge two fascinating mathematical topics: the Mayan system of numeration and magic squares. (Contains 3 figures.)

Children who learn math fundamentals in preschool and kindergarten have the best chance of later achievement in school--but too often, children don't get the effective early math instruction that makes all the difference. Now there's a core early childhood textbook that helps current and future educators teach the most critical math concepts to…

One of the most interesting developments in teaching has been the growing importance of the outdoor environment. Whether it be playground, garden or field, the outdoors offers a range of challenging experiences, especially in the delivery of early mathematics. Oral feedback to parents, together with photographic displays, can show them that…

This article describes a themed classroom project designed to teach about the culture and civilization of ancient Egypt. In preparing the project, it is noted that teachers should remember that different learning styles, including activities that provide meaningful experiences, are appropriate in accommodating the various ways children learn.…

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)

Presents an activity that concerns children's reasoning about counting from the perspectives of informal mathematics, work center mathematics, and cardboard box mathematics. (ASK)

Presents the problem of doubling dough by creating a mixture of dough that doubles in volume every minute when placed in a warm oven. Discusses ways of proposing this question in the classroom. (ASK)

This guide offers more than 100 games from around the world designed to help students explore the fun of learning while developing their higher-order thinking skills. The guide is a compilation of new and traditional games, most of which can be completed with paper and pencil. Each game is classroom tested and tailored to enhance the intelligences…

Presents a summary of the studies done by the Edinburgh Centre for Mathematical Education (ECME) on the use of practical activities in secondary schools. Argues that teachers may remain doubtful about the benefits of practical activities until they try them for themselves. (ASK)

Presents an activity for students to investigate equal parts and area and the connection between area and fractions. Highlights the importance of such a lesson in which children explore rich mathematical ideas, share their thinking and their work with one another, and make connections to other mathematical ideas. (ASK)

Discusses classroom activities that involve applications of fractal geometry. Includes an activity sheet that explores Pascal's triangle, Sierpinsky's gasket, and modular arithmetic in two and three dimensions. (Author/MKR)

This article describes three engaging introductions for topics on a Cartesian graph and the distributive property. (Contains 3 figures.)

Presents suggestions to increase familiarization with the topic index of the "College Mathematics Journal" and points out some ways in which instructors can profit from this information to supplement textbooks. Examples are given of ideas for class enrichment, student exploration, and application. (DDR)