Fourth-grade students (n=45) either with or without learning disabilities and achieving or not achieving at grade level in math were asked to explain strategies used to solve computational problems. Strategies were classified as reproductive or reconstructive (which varied in applicability and efficiency). Significant group differences were found.…

Presented is an activity where students determine the multiplication tables of groups of small order. How this can be used to help develop an understanding of the concept of group isomorphism is explained. (KR)

Investigates the effect of mental schemes corresponding to additive and multiplicative situations in the process of interpreting and solving problems. Classifies relative difficulties of problems according to their situations which are considered through a written test administered to pupils in grades 2, 3, and 4. Supports the assumption that…

Research suggests component skill performance has a strong positive relationship with composite skill performance. This study examined the association between accuracy and fluency for the component-composite relationship within multiplication. One hundred and fifty-seven fifth-graders did one-minute assessments for single-digit, and multi-digit…

How children perceive doubling and halving numbers is discussed, with many examples. The use of calculators is integrated. The tendency to avoid division if other ways of solving a problem can be found was noted. (MNS)

Over 600 pupils in grades five, seven, and nine in Italian schools were asked to choose the operation needed to solve 26 multiplication and division word problems. The findings seemed to confirm the impact of the repeated addition model on multiplication and of the partitive model on division. (MNS)

A learning pattern designed to help students cut down the amount of memorization needed in learning the basic multiplication facts is suggested and reviewed. (MP)

Describes environments for concretely enacting multiplication and division. Discusses difficulties occurring when students use one of the concrete environments to model situations involving modified environments. (YP)

College students were exposed to two pairs of mathematics assignments. Assignment Pair A included a high-effort assignment containing 18 long three-digit ? two-digit (3?2) multiplication problems with all numerals in each problem being equal to or greater than four and a moderate-effort assignment that contained nine long problems and nine…

The contribution to learning that can be made by students' questions is considered. Some questions asked by middle school students and the activities selected by the teacher to answer their questions are presented. Questions involve predicting, judging reasonableness, measuring, finding an average speed, and multiplication. (MNS)

This guide contains classroom-tested problems designed to introduce and reinforce mathematical concepts in a quick, "fun" way. Activities emphasize the logic and reasoning skills needed to build a strong foundation in mathematics. The problems are thinking activities and require only upper elementary level mathematics skills. Activities are…

Investigates the development of understanding of multiplication from the early school years through to the top primary age group. Identifies the children's difficulties and analyzes their solution strategies. Reports that progressive abstraction is related to the children's developing understanding of number and to their procedures for addition.…

Classifies children's solution strategies by degree of abstraction and by use of physical objects. Children in grades one, two, and three were given two multiplication and four division word problems that differed in semantic structure. (Author/YP)

The purpose of this study was to compare the achievement for the operations of multiplication and division on whole numbers of elementary grade students who were taught functional diagnostic strategies with a randomly selected group who were not taught the informal diagnostic strategies. Included are the methodology, results, and discussion. (KR)

Number sequences are useful complements to traditional drill and practice. Described is an activity in which the basic rule, add the tens digit to five times the ones digit, is used to generate a sequence of numbers. The dialogue between teacher and student discussing characteristics of emerging patterns is given. (MDH)