This users' manual, intended for use with a Project Head Start teacher training notebook, describes the purpose, development and field testing of the training materials and suggests procedures for using the notebook as a resource in teacher training sessions. The training notebook to which the users' manual refers is based on 11 questions in the…

The extent to which kindergarten children are able to solve simple quantitative problems merely through the application of counting procedures, before they receive formal instruction in any basic arithmetic operations, is investigated. The study indicates that most kindergarten children can comprehend simple story problems of the type used in…

An activity for secondary schools is presented and discussed which may be explored with a programmable calculator. The activity is non-standard and could not be easily explored without the use of a programmable calculator. Related activities are also discussed. Flow charts and programs for different programmable calculators are presented. (MP)

Some general suggestions for the teaching of mathematics study skills are provided in this paper. The suggestions offered are as follows: (1) teach the specialized mathematical vocabulary directly, (2) show students how the mathematical symbol system works, (3) give practice in understanding graphics, (4) give practice in spotting unstated…

THE PROBLEMS THAT DAILY LIVING MAY PRESENT TO CHILDREN WHO EXPERIENCE LEARNING DIFFICULTIES ARE DISCUSSED, AND THE NEED FOR THE TEACHER TO SURVEY THE EXPERIMENTAL BACKGROUND OF HIS CLASS AND TO DEVELOP A METHOD FOR DEALING WITH THE CHILDREN'S PROBLEMS IS DESCRIBED. PROBLEMS THAT MERIT ATTENTION INCLUDE THOSE WHICH FUNCTION INDEPENDENTLY. THE…

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES WERE (A) TO DEVELOP A BATTERY OF INSIGHT-PROBLEMS FOR USE IN PROBLEM-SOLVING RESEARCH, (B) TO REPLICATE A TRAINING EXPERIMENT IN ORDER TO DETERMINE WHAT A SUBJECT MIGHT HAVE LEARNED IN A SPECIFIC SITUATION WHICH COULD INFLUENCE NONSPECIFIC SITUATIONS, AND (C) TO ATTEMPT TO TEACH SUBJECTS STRATEGY WHICH WILL ALLOW THEM TO…

The booklet considers the nature of creativity in children and examines classroom implications. Among the topics addressed are the following: theories about creativity; research; developments in brain research; the creative process; creative problem solving; the Structure of Intellect Problem Solving (SIPS) model; a rationale for creativity in the…

A series of 13 questions is offered for sequencing student writing activities according to a problem solving model of the composing process. The questions are organized in a cyclical framework for approaching any problem solving task that writing students may face. The questions fall into four progressively developed categories, including…

Abstracts of 28 research reports are provided. The reports were prepared by investigators for presentation at the 54th annual meeting of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. A broad range of topics related to mathematics education are covered. Three reports concern the effects of differing presentations of mathematics, four are related…

The concept of an algorithm derives from the physical sciences, but it has often been misunderstood and misapplied in the social sciences and in education. The theoretical and practical significance of algorithms stems from their applicability to problems of learning, instruction, and instructional design, and they may potentially provide the…

An experimental curriculum providing for participation of art students in urban planning was tested in New York City eighth grade classes. An analysis of the conceptual material embodied in the social studies was translated into parallel concepts consistent with art theory and reinforced by contemporary urban design theory. This produced a…

This presentation, by an invited speaker at the 46th annual meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, describes simulation techniques used in the medical education program at the University of Illinois. Medical students interact with simulated patients and acquire problem-solving competencies for use in working with…

In recent studies, several structural variables have accounted for a good portion of the score variances on verbal problem solving tests. This study investigated changes in the variance accounted by structural variables on problem solving tests when subjects were given instruction to overcome the structural variable influence. Effects on subjects'…

An introduction for teachers to Tools for Change, a new course in problem-solving, is provided by this sourcebook. The major assumptions and rationale underlying the course are explained and the most significant concepts involved--such as heuristics and problem-solving--are scrutinized. Examples of problems and process-oriented problem-solving are…