In this article, I argue that the common practice across many school mathematics curricula of using a variety of different representations of number may diminish the coherence of mathematics for students. Instead, I advocate prioritising a single representation of number (the number line) and applying this repeatedly across diverse content areas.…

This qualitative descriptive study was designed to address the deficiency in early math literacy skills, specifically those related to multiplication fact fluency, in early elementary students. More specifically, this study was designed to gather research and data to provide understanding of the mathematical curriculum instruction used in…

This article explores how a focus on understanding divisibility rules can be used to help deepen students' understanding of multiplication and division with whole numbers. It is based on research with seven Year 7-8 teachers who were observed teaching a group of students a rule for divisibility by nine. As part of the lesson, students were shown a…

This submission contains the Proceedings of the 2013 Annual Meeting of the Canadian Mathematics Education Study Group (CMESG), held at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario. The CMESG is a group of mathematicians and mathematics educators who meet annually to discuss mathematics education issues at all levels of learning. The aims of the…

For over a decade, research studies of mathematics education in high-performing countries have pointed to the conclusion that the mathematics curriculum in the United States must become substantially more focused and coherent in order to improve mathematics achievement in this country. To deliver on the promise of common standards, the standards…

Discussed is the topic of least common multiple (LCM), a rationale for its importance, and suggestions for when and how to teach it. (RH)

A new approach to teaching the division of common fractions is described. The approach is related to the multiplication operation and involves children working with concrete materials. (MK)

This article summarizes the basic concepts of multiplication and provides some evidence that the traditional third-grade curriculum and instruction emphasizing memorization of multiplication facts produces much less understanding of the basic concepts of multiplication than a standards-based curriculum and instruction emphasizing construction of…

The purpose of this module is to acquaint students with the terms prime, composite, and factor. This is done by offering a definition of each term, then reinforcing its meaning through activities. (Author/MK)

The concept of multiplication is described and illustrated using several different representational systems. A conceptual approach to teaching mathematics is compared with the procedural approach commonly found in the school curriculum. Four different methods of representing the multiplication process with numbers larger than ten are presented:…