This article discusses the art of storytelling as a means of introducing new mathematics topics. Telling a mathematically based story can be a break from the routine and can serve as literary mnemonics full of mental imagery that helps students recall in problem-solving steps. The authors provide a certain story that has been tried by several…

In this book, Bob Hogan and Char Forsten introduce American mathematics educators to the model drawing process adapted from the much-acclaimed Singapore approach. They explain what model drawing is and why it's such an effective problem-solving tool. They show exactly how teachers can guide their students through the process, tell which key points…

There are over 400 proofs of the Pythagorean Theorem. Some are visual proofs, others are algebraic. This paper features several proofs of the Pythagorean Theorem in different cultures--Greek, Chinese, Hindu and American. Several interactive websites are introduced to explore ways to prove this beautiful theorem. (Contains 8 figures.)

The use, learning and transfer of workplace numeracy skills, as well as current understandings of the term numeracy, are examined in this study. It also highlights the importance of numeracy as an essential workplace skill. "Thinking Beyond Numbers: Learning Numeracy for the Future Workplace" challenges the training system and training…

The Pre-Kindergarten Inventory of Demonstrated Skills (Pre-KIDS) is designed to be used before the school year begins so that teachers and staff can obtain information about incoming kindergarten students. This information is intended to give teachers insight about what skills a student may or may not have before entering their classrooms. This…

Secondary school educators are told to teach more mathematics and science to their students to help them become more proficient in the two subjects. Coordination of mathematics and science teaching is recognized as another means of improving proficiency. The National Science Foundation has funded the "Mathematics, Science and Technology…

Sorting networks, used in graph theory, have instructional value as a skill- building tool as well as an interesting exploration in discrete mathematics. Students can practice mathematics facts and develop reasoning and logic skills with this topic. (Contains 4 figures.)

"Mathematical literacy" implies that a person is able to reason, analyze, formulate, and solve problems in a real-world setting. Mathematically literate individuals are informed citizens and intelligent consumers. They have the ability to interpret and analyze the vast amount of information they are inundated with daily in newspapers, on…

This article communicates findings from a year-long constructivist teaching experiment about the relationship between four sixth-grade students' multiplicative structures and their construction of improper fractions. Students' multiplicative structures are the units coordinations that they can take as given prior to activity--i.e., the units…

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (2000) recommends that students at all grade levels be provided with instructional programs that enable them to "create and use representations to organize, record, and communicate mathematical ideas; select, apply, and translate among mathematical representations to solve problems; and use…

There are five important strands in building mathematical proficiency for all students: (1) Conceptual Understanding, (2) Procedural Understanding (3) Strategic Competence, (4) Adaptive Reasoning, and (5) Productive Disposition. (National Research Council, 2001). This article explores effective classroom practices that promote these strands of…

Encouraging students to share and compare solution methods is a key component of reform efforts in mathematics, and comparison is emerging as a fundamental learning mechanism. To experimentally evaluate the effects of comparison for mathematics learning, the authors randomly assigned 70 seventh-grade students to learn about algebra equation…

"C[squared] = Creative Coordinates" is an engaging group of tasks that fosters the integration of mathematics and art to create meaningful understanding. The project lets students illustrate of find an image, then plot points to map their design on a grid. The project usually takes about a week to complete. When it is finished, students who are…

Learning to count is something that most children start to do by the time they are about two, and parents know from first-hand experience that family members play a big part in helping with this complex process. In this article, the author describes a project involving families sharing effective counting activities. The project called…

This article describes one way to introduce fraction, decimal, and percent equivalents by linking student-created Op Art with examples of twentieth-century abstract painting. (Contains 7 figures.)