Background: South African learners face the double disadvantage of living in low socioeconomic conditions with access to few resources and attending schools with challenging learning conditions. Mathematics performance reflects such conditions with extreme performance gaps between wealthier and poorer learners. The need for early intervention is…

This paper describes the conceptions about complex numbers that a group of university students has, these were built from the application of an activity sequence centered on these numbers. This sequence is based on the APOS theory, some aspects of semiotic representation theory, and the use of digital technology. Particularly, both the general…

This paper reports on an experiment involving 108 sixth-grade French students in which the history of Chinese numeration was used in mathematics education. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relevance of using ancient number systems in mathematics education, which is common in French textbooks. In the experiment a pre-test with usual…

In this paper, differences in the implementation of a number activity called the snake game are studied. Nine Swedish preschool teachers worked in collaboration with a research team, enacting the same activity with their groups of 5-year-old children over a 3-month period. Variation theory forms the basis for the analysis of 67 videorecorded…

Improving the strength of alignment between educational components is essential for quality assurance and to achieve learning goals. The purpose of the study was to investigate the strength of alignment between Senior Phase mathematics content standards and workbook activities on numeric and geometric patterns. The study contributes to…

This article discusses the use of number talks to engage kindergarten children in regular joyful math opportunities in the classroom. As an educator of four- and five-year-old students in a full day kindergarten (FDK) program in Ontario, Canada, I embrace inquiry-based learning to guide children's activities. Inspired by the childcare centres in…

Number sense has been considered as one of the most important mathematical notions to be addressed in school mathematics in the 21st century. In this paper, we identify how students of a public middle school, located in a rural area in Mexico, showed several aspects of number sense by performing tasks involving arithmetic operations in a shopping…

This study examined a game-based teaching activity on "Factors and Multiples" designed for the 6th grade students. The game aims to create a differentiated and enriched learning environment targeted the curriculum standard "The students determine prime numbers using their properties. The students find prime numbers using the…

It is frequently surprising to new teachers (and even those with experience) when they find that not only do some children need to recount the group they have just counted to be assured of the total but also that this need seems to be resistant to intervention. Although moving from "counting-all" to "count-on" is sometimes…

The move from additive to multiplicative thinking requires significant change in children's comprehension and manipulation of numerical relationships, involves various conceptual components, and can be a slow, multistage process for some. Unit arrays are a key visuospatial representation for supporting learning, but most research focuses on 2D…

In providing a continued focus on tasks and activities that help to illustrate key ideas embedded in the new Australian Curriculum, this issue will focus on Number in the Number and Algebra strand. In this article Derek Hurrell provides a few tried and proven activities to develop place value understanding. These activities are provided for…

This paper outlines a framework to explain the early development of place-value understanding based on an analysis of data from 84 five- to seven-year-old children from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. The children were assessed individually on number knowledge tasks (recalled facts, subitizing, counting, place-value understanding) and…

A web-based two-tier test (WTTT-NS) which combined the advantages of traditional written tests and interviews in assessing number sense was developed and applied to assess students' answers and reasons for the questions. In addition, students' major misconceptions can be detected. A total of 1,248 sixth graders in Taiwan were selected to…

This paper focuses on children's number fact knowledge from a study that explored the impact of using multiplication and division contexts for developing number understanding with 34 five- and six-year-old children from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. After a series of focused lessons, children's knowledge of number facts, including…

In this article, Lorraine Jacob and Joanne Mulligan discuss how arrays can be used to promote students' early learning in relation to multiplication and division. They provide examples of activities that can be used from Foundation to Year 5.