A 3-year study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of laboratory and lecture strategies in a course for prospective elementary teachers on the structure of the number system. Results showed that neither strategy was superior to the other as judged by students' examination achievement, attitudes towards mathematics, student teaching…

Investigated was the effect of prior experiences on the acquisition of number conservation by 10 mildly and 10 moderately retarded students (7-16 years old). (CL)

Presents a method of teaching two-column addition which the authors argue is based on Piaget's theory and fosters the children's own natural thinking. The method does not use objects such as straws bundled or base-ten blocks. (PK)

A useful approach for developing insights and discovering patterns is to examine numbers in relation to the number of their divisors. A teaching procedure for this approach is presented, with questions, answers, and homework suggestions. (MNS)

Presents activities that have been used successfully in leading students from concrete experiences through pictorial and symbolic representations of important numeration concepts and patterns, including place value, multiples, and rounding. Each activity includes concept or skill fostered, list of materials needed, recommended grade level, and…

Activities are presented to give students a picture of decimal concepts of tenths and hundredths. Three models (linear, regional, and value) are described, followed by four activities. (MNS)

Fourth-grade students' understanding of the order and equivalence of rational numbers was investigated in 132 interviews during an 18-week teaching experiment. Six children were instructed individually and as a group at two sites, with instruction relying heavily on manipulative aids. Strategies used to compare fractions were identified. (MNS)

Three lessons are outlined which employ "scholar dollars," pretend bills and coins of different denominations that students can make and use to help solve subtraction, division, and decimal problems. The technique clarifies difficult mathematical concepts by making them less abstract. (PP)

This report summarizes findings of current research supported by the Office of Special Education Programs on effective mathematics instruction for students with disabilities. The first brief article notes that most special education teachers do not have sufficient knowledge about the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards and this…

The first in a three-volume set, this book focuses on young children between the ages of four and eight as they construct a deeper understanding of numbers and the operations of addition and subtraction. Rather than offer unrelated activities, this book provides a concerted, unified description of development with a focus on big ideas, progressive…

What is meant by meaningful instruction is discussed in terms of interest and relevance, pseudo-real problems, unconscious reinforcement, stories for symbols, and mathematical mirrors. That mathematics must be talked about with and by children is emphasized. (MNS)

Findings on ratio and on fractions from a research project on strategies and errors in secondary mathematics are discussed, with typical errors described. Pupils seemed to learn rules without understanding. (MNS)

Four activities and four manipulative materials for teaching place value are discussed. (MP)

A lesson for secondary mathematics pupils on prime numbers designed to capture student interest is presented. The emphasis is on developing lessons that act as motivating forces in the classroom. (MP)

Contrasts student achievement using commercial curricula (CC) for initial fraction learning with that of using the Rational Number Project (RNP) fraction curriculum. Indicates that students using RNP materials had statistically higher mean scores on concepts, order, transfer, and estimation. Interview data showed differences in the quality of…