Two fourth-grade classes served in a study that employed computers for promoting autonomous learning processes through solving challenging problems adapted to students' aptitudes using the number line as an intuitive model. Findings showed that students have preinstructional intuitions and informal knowledge of negative numbers. (24 references)…

Discusses research on children's speed in identifying digits and letters in continuous lists and discrete trials. Latency for word identification and digit naming varied considerably. Naming speed contributed variance in reading skill independently of measures of phonological awareness. (Author/GH)

Describes the development, refinement, and validation of a framework for nurturing and assessing multidigit number sense in young children. Major constructs incorporated were counting, partitioning, grouping, and number relationships. The framework was validated through case studies of six first-grade children. (30 references) (MKR)

Investigated (n=124) preservice school teachers' reasoning and concepts of invariance of fractional numbers under numeration systems in different bases. The majority of students believed that fractions change their numerical value under different symbolic representations. (Author/MKR)

Discussed is why students have the tendency to apply an "add the numerators and add the denominators" approach to adding fractions. Suggested is providing examples exemplifying this intuitive approach from ratio, concentration, and distance problems to demonstrate under what conditions it is applicable in contrast to the addition algorithm. (MDH)

Discusses topics that are especially appropriate for investigation by young learners and describes activities that stimulate children's curiosity. Suggestions about ways to focus children's attention on mathematical aspects of the activities are offered. (BB)

Proposes a framework that identifies the components of number sense and the attributes of students who possess it. Discusses various aspects of three areas where number sense plays a key role: number concepts, operations with numbers, and applications of number and operation. (MDH)

Reports results of interviews in which students were asked to illustrate three interpretations of fractions: a unit subdivided into equal-sized parts; a set subdivided into equal-sized parts; and a ratio. Two areas of difficulty in giving reasonable representations are discussed. Proposes teaching suggestions to overcome these difficulties. (MDH)

Several examples of solid figures that calculus students can use to exercise their skills at estimating volume are presented. Although these figures are bounded by surfaces that are portions of regular cylinders, it is interesting to note that their volumes can be expressed as rational numbers. (JJK)

This article elaborates on three principles which are the foundation of the developmental approach to early childhood education. These principles are multiage grouping, nongraded curricular materials, and interactive teaching. (IAH)

A class of 32 fourth graders, who studied inverse operations in grades 1-3, was given 3 written tests, each followed by an interview, to see how well they could simplify computations using inverse operations. Most could not evaluate 28 + 75 - 75, for example, without performing all operations. (GW)

Presents a game along with several variations involving three players using three-digit numbers to help students improve their number sense on decimal numbers and fractions. (ASK)

Describes picture books that can provide a foundation for the development of young children's understanding of mathematics. Includes specific activities for teachers to use along with picture books to enhance children's understanding of the concepts of classification, seriation, number, spatial relations, and time. (MDM)

Suggests that political apathy among young people is the result of not having the conceptual tools necessary to comprehend present issues. Argues that to grasp many issues, students need to be mathematically literate, which many are not. Suggests that instructors should expose students to comparative numbers more often. (DSK)

This microgenetic study investigated similarities and differences in use and discovery of addition strategies in children with and without mild mental retardation across 24 sessions. Nine children with mild mental retardation in third through fifth grade classrooms and 14 children without mental retardation in kindergarten classrooms were tested…