Issues in school mathematics programs are considered in this book. In the first section, mathematics education at the start of the decade is examined through two articles: a discussion of the status of mathematics programs and of prospects for the 80s, and an interpretation of the results of the second national mathematics assessment of the…

Background information on the testing program, administration details, and a description of the test are provided. The test, intended for administration in June 1986 to third-grade students in Alberta, Canada, consists of two sections. Section 1 is divided into two parts. Part A contains 25 questions covering numeration, geometry, and graphing; 12…

This brief leaflet for parents states that "the most important thing you can do is to reinforce the mathematics lessons your child receives in school." The helping strategies are designed for use with children in grades one through three, but may also be useful for older children having difficulty in mathematics. Four types of skills children have…

Activities and problems are interspersed with commentary in this book on the learning and teaching of mathematics. The emphasis is on helping students to enjoy mathematics through an awareness of structure and patterns. The chapter titles are as follows: (1) "My Three Sons--A Game"; (2) "The Tower Game"; (3) "Mathematical Games on a Different…

This research is aimed at diagnosing the problem-solving skill of elementary school children and subsequently improving their competence in early mathematics. To reach this goal, a computer assisted instruction (CAI) program on open sentences, incorporating knowledge about students' problem solving strategies and misconceptions, was constructed.…

This book is based on the underlying philosophy that mathematics learning at the elementary level should be active. Children should learn through meaningful hands-on activities with manipulative materials, pictures and technology. More than 400 pupil activities and suggestions for designing more activities are described. Because mathematics is to…

In mathematics, situations calling for reconstruction of a transformation are frequent. In such situations, children aged 6 to 7 concentrate on the states, combining them in different ways. The present research aims to illustrate that difficulties and strategies observed with children 6-7 years old are not specific to this age level, but are also…

Activities from the "IDEAS" department which appeared in the "Arithmetic Teacher" between 1980 and 1985 were selected for this publication, designed for students in grades 4 through 6. The activities were reprinted just as they originally appeared in the journals. The selections are arranged according to the major topical areas of the curriculum:…

These materials are intended to provide meaningful mathematical experiences for pre-algebra students. These experiences emphasize the development of computational skills, mathematical concepts, and problem-solving techniques. This bulletin may be used as the basis for the second term of a one-year course, or for the second year of a two-year…

This material is designed to examine the research on how children acquire basic addition and subtraction concepts and skills. Two major lines of theories of the development of basic number concepts, called logical concept and quantification skill approaches, are identified. Major recurring issues in the development of early number concepts are…

This research study was conducted to investigate the interactions of specific student aptitudes with their ability to solve chemistry problems of varying structure and information. Fourteen classroom quizzes were validated and a number of in-task variables were identified for analysis. These variables included: the nature of information given…

This report illustrates a network of procedures which can be used to solve problems involving the addition and subtraction of fractions. This network, which is based on a skills hierarchy, is used to classify seven levels of student competency. The determination of student competency depends upon the careful construction of error-diagnostic tests.…

Presents a new method to teach the subject of evaporators which is both simple enough to use in the classroom and accurate and flexible enough to be used as a design tool in practice. Gives an example using a triple evaporator series. Analyzes the effect of this method. (CW)

Algorithmic and investigative approaches to mathematics are compared and discussed. Their mutually contradictory spirit is explored. Examples of the application of each method to a mathematics problem are presented. (CW)

Studies of word problem solving of story problems are reviewed and six immature strategies commonly used by elementary and junior high school students are highlighted. Suggested are some recommendations for mathematics instruction. (YP)