For centuries, the basic operations of school mathematics have been identified as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Notably, these operations are "basic," not because they are foundational to mathematics knowledge, but because they were vital to a newly industrialized and market-driven economy several hundred years…

This chapter describes a promising new approach to teaching developmental arithmetic and prealgebra, and presents research findings that demonstrate how a faculty support network helped instructors adopt new teaching strategies and gain confidence in teaching the reformed course.

Pratham's "Read India" initiative is a large-scale intervention to improve basic learning and arithmetic among children in primary school. It was started almost 10 years ago and has evolved considerably over time. Currently, this initiative uses two strategies. The first strategy is to work directly with village communities and local…

This article describes a follow-up analysis of findings from a randomized study that tested the efficacy of a blended version of Enhanced Anchored Instruction (EAI) designed to improve both the computation and problem-solving performances of middle school students with disabilities. The goals of the secondary analysis were to track overall error…

Interactive whiteboards are somewhat unimpressive at first and look like the whiteboards that already hang on the walls of many classrooms. However, integrating interactive whiteboard technology in a unit on adding and subtracting integers enhances student engagement and understanding. In this article, the author describes how she used an…

The analysis presented in this article tries to obtain a global view of the field of interactive learning environments (ILE) dedicated to arithmetic and algebra. As preliminaries, a brief overview of evaluation methods focusing on educational software is given and a short description of ten ILEs concerned by the study is provided as a kind of a…

A report of the effects of the Great Cultural Revolution in Communist China on mathematics education. The Cultural Revolution was launched officially in 1962 by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. Goals and results of efforts are presented. (RP)

The addition and subtraction of integers is the first major avenue, and roadblock, to student success in learning algebra. This article describes a hands-on activity using a regular deck of playing cards that facilitates class discussion and helps students overcome this initial roadblock. (Contains 14 figures.)

The Radio Mathematics Project is being undertaken in Masaya, Nicaragua, to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of radio as the medium of instruction for primary school mathematics in the developing nations. The curriculum is based upon a series of segments, each of which contains several conceptual or topical strands. Thus, for example, one…

A week-by-week readiness program for preschool and early primary children. (Editor)

Details of arithmetic topics proposed for inclusion in a modern elementary mathematics program and a rationale for the selection of these topics are given. The sequencing of the topics is discussed. (Author/DT)

A modern approach to the study of mathematical structure in the fifth class (grade eight) of French schools is described. Students make a number of experiments with various mathematical concepts in an attempt to discover interesting properties. (FL)

Describes a classroom-based model for professional development that allows teachers to gain further insight into matching learning experiences with a child's potential. (ASK)

Described is the Transitional Classes Program for emotionally disturbed children 7-17 years old. It is explained that individual or small group sessions based on individualized programs are conducted daily to improve reading and math skills. Program evaluation findings are reported, including an improvement in six specified reading and six math…