This study applied two arithmetic tests, one written and one computer-based interactive, to samples of primary school children from two populations, one suburban non-Aboriginal and one rural Aboriginal. The results from the written test were significantly (p<0.001) better for the non-Aboriginal children than for the Aboriginal children. This was…

Using differentiated instruction in the classroom can be a challenge, especially when teaching mathematics. This book cuts through the difficulties with two powerful and universal strategies that teachers can use across all math content: Open Questions and Parallel Tasks. Specific strategies and examples for grades Kindergarten - 8 are organized…

The purpose of this paper is to share the results of a fourteen-week study that focused on the effects of teaching mathematics instruction with the implementation of manipulatives in an elementary classroom. Students that fill our classrooms deserve the opportunity to use manipulatives to help them grasp all the different concepts that are taught…

The purpose of this paper is to present a summary of selected facets of geometry and measurement in elementary school programs and to describe curricula content options designed to demonstrate the feasibility of seeking high level outcomes and meanings for students with learning disabilities. While there are a multitude of published papers…

Sixty four preservice teachers taking a mathematics methods class for middle schools were given 3 math problems: multiply a three digit number by a two digit number; divide a whole number by a fraction; and compare the volume of two cylinders made in different ways from the same rectangular sheet. They were to a) solve them, explaining their…

Five to seven percent of children experience severe difficulties in learning mathematics and/or reading. Current trials that are focused on identifying biological markers suggest that these learning disabilities, known as Developmental Dyscalculia (DD) and Dyslexia (for reading), are due to underlying brain dysfunctions. One ongoing controversy…

For over a decade, research studies of mathematics education in high-performing countries have pointed to the conclusion that the mathematics curriculum in the United States must become substantially more focused and coherent in order to improve mathematics achievement in this country. To deliver on the promise of common standards, the standards…

Introduction: For decades birth order and gender differences have attracted research attention. Method: Birth order, family size and gender, and the relationship with arithmetic achievement is studied among 1152 elementary school children (540 girls, 612 boys) in Flanders. Children were matched on socioeconomic status of the parents and…

Introducing an approach to detailed assessment involving videotaping clinical interviews, the authors highlight strengths of this approach for understanding children's thinking, informing instruction, and furthering professional learning. (Contains 4 figures.)

Surprisingly little is known about the extent of children's knowledge about number beyond their ability to recite, read and write numbers and count quantities of objects. There is little information on the extent to which children are aware of how number is used in their everyday environment or of how much they gain from such early exposure. The…

This article describes how sixth-grade students developed concrete models to solve division of fractions story problems. Students developed separate two-step procedures to solve measurement and partitive problems, drawing on invented procedures for division of whole numbers. Errors also tended to be specific to the type of division problem…

We review significant empirical studies of the arithmetic abilities of children with dyslexia. These studies suggest that the academic impairments of children with dyslexia are not limited to reading and spelling, but also include aspects of mathematics. A consistent finding across a number of studies is that children with dyslexia have difficulty…

A paucity of research has directly compared empirically supported interventions to examine their effectiveness among students with different mathematics fluency skills. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of two empirically supported interventions and a control condition on the mathematics fluency of 98 second and third grade…

The juxtaposition of articles by Ian Thompson and Ian Sugarman in "MT202" on addition and subtraction respectively engendered some bemused thoughts in this author, who for some years has been sheltered from controversy by retirement. In this article, Fielker shares some thoughts on addition and subtraction raised by Thompson and Sugarman in their…

Everyday, people face situations that call for adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing, and at least half of the time, these calculations are accomplished without the use of pen, paper, or calculators. Because figuring "in your head" is such an important life skill, it should have a regular role in classroom math teaching. This article…