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:…

Abstracts and comments are presented for 11 studies. There are two each on aspects of problem solving, mathematics achievement, and estimation. The remainder cover topics related to cognitive development, cognitive processes, evaluation, numeration, and student errors. Research as reported in RIE and CIJE between July and September 1982 is also…

Problem Solving in Mathematics (PSM), a program of problem-solving lessons for grades 4-9, is designed to be integrated into the regular mathematics curriculum. Although the content objectives of the lessons are similar to those of most textbooks, PSM emphasizes problem-solving skills and a variety of instructional strategies which foster the…

One of five volumes intended to help teachers of mainstreamed handicapped students, the book presents twelve papers on teaching mathematics. Eight papers address instructional techniques for basic skills and problem solving: "Modalities--One Technique to Mainstream in Mathematics Instruction" (G. Rossi); "Computation Errors--Are We Treating A…

This curriculum guide outlines the mathematics objectives of each of the grades K-8 under the headings of operations, sentences and problem solving, numbers and numeration, measurement, geometry, statistics, and applications. Examples of each of the objectives are given. High school minimal skills are listed. The sequence of mathematics courses…

Zoo Zillions contains five activities for grades K-2: Annie's Jungle Trail, 3D Gallery, Number Line Express, Gnu Ewe Boutique, and Fish Stories. These activities enable children to review and practice basic mathematics skills; identify three-dimensional shapes, watch them in motion, and create their own three-dimensional designs; locate numbers…

This booklet summarizes the mathematics chapter from "Handbook of Research on Improving Student Achievement", published by the Educational Research Service (ERS). The Handbook is based on the idea that, in order to succeed, efforts to improve instruction must focus on the existing knowledge base with respect to effective teaching and learning. The…

Describes how using spreadsheets helped seventh grade algebra students develop problem-solving skills. Topics include the functional dualism of the spreadsheet as a text, uniting enactive and numeric modeling of word problems, new meanings and reciprocal learning, learning through problem "posing," higher levels of thinking, and decreasing…

Described are activities involving higher order thinking skills developed for gifted students that can be used for all students. Discussed is a framework for designing activities using Bloom's Taxonomy of the Cognitive Domain and William's Student Behaviors. Sample activities are included. (KR)

Discussed is the importance of incorporating calculators and computers into the primary grades. Number concepts, counting skills, place-value, basic operations, problem-solving, and higher order thinking skills can be reinforced by using calculators and computers along with manipulatives. (KR)

Describes Vygotsky's zones of proximal development, the importance of social interaction in learning through problem solving, and the benefits of modeling. Presents three implications for teaching and learning mathematics based on a teaching experiment focusing on these constructs. (MDH)

Middle-school students were asked to determine the dimensions of a hotel atrium so that guests could enjoy the maximum area of scenic view, given that 650 feet of brass railing could be used around each floor. Several solution approaches are described. (MKR)

Interviewers asked (n=10) 6th- and (n=10) 10th-grade students to solve nonroutine number problems. Task analysis of perseverers, those students who continued after reaching "dead-ends," found that students who were ultimately successful were more inclined to be flexible in their strategies. (28 references) (MKR)

This microgenetic study investigated similarities and differences in use and discovery of addition strategies in children with and without mild mental retardation across 24 sessions. Nine children with mild mental retardation in third through fifth grade classrooms and 14 children without mental retardation in kindergarten classrooms were tested…

This easy-to-navigate guide offers research-based teaching strategies for introducing prekindergarten and elementary school students to the content and skills recommended by the NCTM principles and standards for mathematics. Using the popular format of the "What Successful Teachers Do" books, the authors present 47 dynamic learning activities,…