Examines 250 sixth-grade students' understanding of arithmetic average by assessing their understanding of the computational algorithm. Results indicate that the majority of the students knew the "add-them-all-up-and-divide" averaging algorithm, but only half of the students were able to correctly apply the algorithm to solve a…

Presents an activity in which students try to find the least common multiple (LCM) for two numbers using calculators. (ASK)

Produces algebraic solutions by reducing the problems to equations and arithmetic solutions that do not use variables. Investigates how the arithmetic solution helps students better understand the problem before they approach it algebraically and how logic used in solving the problem arithmetically can be directly linked to the algebraic…

Presents and investigates a theoretical perspective on the development of understandings of mathematical operations with a particular focus on addition. Presents a case study on the development of a young boy and concludes that his attainment of aspects of operation sense supported transitions into algebraic ways of thinking. Contains 46…

Uses Stern patterns and Cuisenaire manipulatives to help Down's Syndrome children learn arithmetic. Concludes that the opportunity to discover an arithmetic based upon an algebra of patterns and lengths, and not upon an elaborate counting apprenticeship, might prove of particular further benefit to children with Down's Syndrome. (ASK)

Presents a study that examined the differences between mathematically disabled children and mathematically normal children in a cross-sectional perspective. Concludes that mathematically disabled children need mathematics instruction to move from a focus on computation to strategy-learning activities. Contains 44 references. (Author/ASK)

Siblings and parents of 39 children with dyscalculia were assessed for arithmetic, reading, and attention disorders. Findings indicated a familial prevalence of dyscalculia almost tenfold higher than expected for the general population and suggest that dyscalculia, like other learning disabilities, has a significant familial aggregation,…

Aims to help children understand difficult concepts according to their own particular learning styles and to keep students learning while maintaining their interest in and excitement about mathematics. Presents everyday mathematics games for students at every ability level to practice important mathematical skills. (ASK)

Having children create and solve their own story problems is a valuable activity to use for them to think carefully about and apply a concept to create and solve a problem. Describes using two books to help children learn about the concept of multiplication. (ASK)

Compared performance of 9-year-olds with arithmetic difficulties to that of age-matched and ability-matched controls on 10 tasks used to assess different aspects of working memory, including subtypes of executive function. Found deficits in executive and spatial aspects of working memory that seem likely to be important factors in poor…

Compares methods of subtraction used by children and teachers. Suggests ways to encourage children to invent their own subtraction algorithms. (CCM)

Geometrical representations can help students generalize arithmetic to algebra. Includes several examples including triangle numbers and models of cubes. (Author/MM)

This brief article describes a few entertaining math "puzzles" that are easy to use with students at any grade level and with any operation. Not only do these puzzles help provide practice with facts and operations, they are also self-checking and may lead to some interesting big ideas in algebra.

This study had two aims. The first was to test the postulate of analogical equivalents in number processing using a stimulus set based on the differences between pairs of numbers, and second, to look for IQ-dependent differences in this processing. Participants were asked to make judgments concerning the differences between pairs of numbers--each…

The present study was designed to determine if children with learning disabilities in mathematics could be taught three-row, double-digit addition problems using a dot-notation method. Three children with learning disabilities in mathematics were selected for the study. Prior to the intervention, these students employed a combination of count-all…