Presents responses to a division problem appearing in the September, 1998 "problem solvers" section of this journal. (ASK)

Examines ways in which teachers can develop children's abilities to mathematize their world by articulating mathematical problems in situations, then solving and discussing their solutions. Contains 11 references. (ASK)

Primary teachers should understand the nature of the real-number system and the relationships among its subsets. Presents results of a study in which preservice primary teachers (n=58) and first- and second-year mathematics students (n=47) completed a survey on the real-number system. Concludes that the second-year students were the best…

Describes the basic and exceptional calculation abilities of a calculating prodigy whose performances were investigated in single- and multi-digit number multiplication, numerical comparison, raising of powers, and short-term memory tasks. Shows how his highly efficient long-term memory storage and retrieval processes, knowledge of calculation…

Presents an activity in which students use computer-based spreadsheets to find out how much grain should be added to a chess board when a grain of rice is put on the first square, the amount is doubled for the next square, and the chess board is covered. (ASK)

Discusses overall mental computation achievement and limits discussion to strategies middle school students used when computing with whole numbers, decimals, and fractions. Suggests that the development of conceptual knowledge of numbers is an important prerequisite for the understanding of mental computation procedures. (Contains 31 references.)…

Describes a study that explores secondary school students' conceptions of division by zero. Examines whether students identify expressions involving division by zero as undefined or tend to assign them numerical values. Studies students' justifications and analyzes the effects of age and level of achievement in mathematics on students' responses…

Pupils progress through a relatively small number of key stages called growth points in numeracy learning. Identifies growth points in developing numeracy and suggests that better support can be offered to children when teachers are aware of the growth points. (ASK)

Two studies examined the impact of mathematical games, some involving parents playing games with children in class, on 5- to 7-year-olds' number knowledge. Results showed that games appeared to be most effective as a way of enhancing children's learning when a sensitive adult was available to support and extend the children's learning as they…

Offers a matrix to assist mathematics-curriculum planners and teachers around the world in developing multicultural learning materials. Contains 22 references. (ASK)

Investigates possibilities for and manifestations of collaborative work with pairs of kindergarten students as they worked on tasks designed to promote early number development. Students generated four strategies, and three themes emerged from the analysis of the cooperative solutions. Contains 34 references. (Author/ASK)

Illustrates how the genesis and development of complex numbers can be explained by and supports a fallibilist model of trials and tests. Discusses the educational implications of this quasi-experimental approach. Contains 33 references. (DDR)

Uses an activity to assess students' understanding and use of the vocabulary of 'difference between' with four middle-ability children from years 1, 3, and 5. (Contains 14 references.) (ASK)

Shares experiences with using "The Wall", a number patterns spreadsheet idea developed by Dave Shiers, with children in a middle school. (ASK)

Used shift-rate recovery method in three experiments to examine extent to which 6-month-olds find perceptual cues such as density and length useful in discrimination of linearly arranged sets of large numbers of objects. Found that infants can discriminate between large number sets by relying on absolute cues such as density and on relative cues…