Teachers report that engaging students in solving contextual problems is an important part of supporting student understanding of algorithms for fraction division. Meaning for whole-number operations is a crucial part of making sense of contextual problems involving rational numbers. The authors present a developed instructional sequence to…

Spatial reasoning, which involves "building and manipulating mental representations of two-and three-dimensional objects and perceiving an object from different perspectives" is a critical aspect of geometric thinking and reasoning. Through building, drawing, and analyzing two-and three-dimensional shapes, students develop a foundation…

This article describes a teacher and class as they discover that their reading comprehension strategies cross over into mathematical problem solving. The students practice using visualization techniques to improve their understanding of word problems. (Contains 5 figures.)

Describes an activity for children of any age to develop spatial sense and explore the effects of transforming, combining, subdividing, and changing geometric figures. Students analyze empty cereal boxes opened flat to determine the specific shape, how it opens and closes, to check maps or sketches against the actual geometry of the box, and write…

Discusses the concept of three-dimensional perspective. Presents some assessment tasks to help develop perspective and describes student responses. (Author/NB)

Presents the Shape Search problem to develop student visualization. Focuses attention on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Geometry Standard. (Author/NB)

Describes how elementary school teachers demonstrated for themselves and their students how using simple drawings and visualization can improve problem-solving ability. (ASK)

Presents a problem of tetras made with four cubes, mathematical ideas involved in this problem, and guiding questions for teachers. (KHR)

Discusses the positive results of incorporating two essential elements of learning--language patterns and visualization--found in Japanese classrooms into a first grade classroom in Minnesota. (Contains 12 references.) (Author/YDS)

The author recounts experiences introducing a first grade class to the concept of symmetry. The lesson includes activities for developing recognition of objects that have symmetry as well as visualization of both horizontal and vertical lines of symmetry.

Describes how to deal with students' structuring of rectangular arrays of squares and other two-dimensional regions. Presents activities that connect spatial structuring to the development of multiplicative thinking. (ASK)

Presents interesting activities to develop mental imagery and the ability to transform these images. Concludes that using images facilitates mathematical thought in numerical and geometric settings. (ASK)

Describes a successful mother/daughter math club started by a third grade teacher which is designed to help participants increase positive feelings about mathematics; further develop problem-solving skills, especially involving construction and spatial visualization tasks; and become familiar with women's contributions to the world of mathematics.…

Presents activities focusing on the use of visual perspectivity. Includes reproducible student worksheets. (MKR)

Features activities designed to enhance students' spatial reasoning ability combining geometry, language arts, and visual arts. (ASK)