The "Reasoning Algebraically about Operations Casebook" was developed as the key resource for participants' Developing Mathematical Ideas seminar experience. The thirty-four cases, written by teachers describing real situations and actual student thinking in their classrooms, provide the basis of each session's investigation into the…

Infinity and infinitely small numbers pique the curiosity of middle school students. From a very young age, many students are intrigued, interested, and even fascinated by extremely large or extremely small numbers or quantities. This article describes an activity that takes this curiosity about infinity into the domain of adding the numbers of an…

Students around the world have difficulties in learning about fractions. In many countries, the average student never gains a conceptual knowledge of fractions. This research guide provides suggestions for teachers and administrators looking to improve fraction instruction in their classrooms or schools. The recommendations are based on a…

How do composing and decomposing numbers connect with the properties of addition? Focus on the ideas that you need to thoroughly understand in order to teach with confidence. The mathematical content of this book focuses on essential knowledge for teachers about numbers and number systems. It is organized around one big idea and supported by…

Much of the difficulty that students encounter in the transition from arithmetic to algebra stems from their early learning and understanding of arithmetic. Too often, students learn about the whole number system and the operations that govern that system as a set of procedures to solve addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems.…

The paper details a comprehensive system for the treatment of the topic of limits--conceptually, computationally, and formally. The system addresses fundamental linguistic flaws in the standard presentation of limits, which attempts to force limit discussion into the language of individual real numbers and equality. The system of near-numbers…

After briefly presenting possible origins for the use of the decimal system for counting and the duodecimal (base twelve) system for many measures, a notational scheme using six positive'' digits and six negative'' digits is presented. Examples and algorithms using this set of digits for operations with whole numbers, fractions, and in…

Discusses a counting system and number operations. Suggests six distinct areas in a "number" subject: one-to-one correspondences; simple counting process; complicated counting process; addition and multiplication; algorithms for the operations; and the decimal system. (YP)

Discusses activities using base-10-block skits to teach number system concepts in first grade classrooms. Describes the students' responses to the activities. (YP)

Discusses the contributions in each chapter of the book, highlighting the textbook analyses for each arithmetic topic presented. (MDH)

This book deals with teaching mathematics to children during the years of three to nine. According to the author, the book espouses "the pedagogical principle that the child ought to have some idea of what is going on." The content of the book is divided into eleven chapters: (1) An Introduction, (2) Counting, (3) Measurement and Quantitative…

Describes the steps for making overhead manipulative materials on base-10 blocks, colored chips, place-value charts, number lines, and grids. Suggests the materials, procedures, and uses. (YP)

Provides methods of teaching negative number operations, including addition, subtraction, and multiplication. Presents examples and activities for the operations. (YP)

Discussion material and exercises related to pre-algebra groups are provided in this five chapter manual. Chapter 1 (mappings) focuses on restricted domains, order of operations (parentheses and exponents), rules of assignment, and computer extensions. Chapter 2 considers finite number systems, including binary operations, clock arithmetic,…