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…

This guide is designed to aid the teacher in planning and teaching an eighth-grade mathematics course which should strengthen the student's understanding of the basic structure of mathematics through experience with and appreciation of abstract concepts. Thirteen units outlined are entitled: Numeration Systems; Natural Numbers and Zero; Integers;…

This study considered ways of improving mathematical outcomes for urban Indigenous students. It focused on three primary schools in Western Australia and identified factors that were perceived to be having an impact on student learning. These included expectations for students, attendance rates, parent involvement, student literacy levels, student…

National tests, an influential assessment practice in many countries in East Asia, are often blamed as obstacles to good instructional practices. In this paper, the positive impact of assessment, national tests in particular, is discussed using the case of Singapore. The first part of the paper includes an analysis of items from the primary grade…

Procedures for using a calculator to check addition and subtraction problems in bases less than 10 are described. (SD)

This article extends number bases to negative integers, then to positive rationals and finally to negative rationals. Methods and rules for operations in positive and negative rational bases greater than one or less than negative one are summarized in tables. Sample problems are explained and illustrated. (KM)

Rules for determining the number of initial zeros and the period of a repeating decimal are stated and proved. (SD)

The Chinese numerical system and its contrastive aspects with the English system are discussed, as well as some implications of the numerical system in the spoken language. (RM)

This book contains 15 essays written between 1969 through 1983. The essays included are: (1) "Semantic Analysis of Verbs in Terms of Conceptual Situations"; (2) "'Because' and the Concepts of Causation"; (3) "The Development of Language as Purposive Behavior"; (4) "Adaptation and Viability"; (5) "On the…

This book introduces children to the numbers 1 through 16 (and some basic mathematical concepts) using the petals of a variety of flowers. The first part of the book contains 16 full-color photographs, each photograph showing a flower with 1 to 16 petals, with the number printed below the photograph. These pages can be used to introduce or…

Ways in which parents, the media and commercial educational materials contribute to the development of erroneous number concepts in pre-school children are identified. Cautions against these practices are suggested which include the use of more than one set of numerals for representing numbers. (JP)

This is one in a series of manuals for teachers using SMSG high school supplementary materials. The pamphlet includes commentaries on the sections of the student's booklet, answers to the exercises, and sample test questions. Topics covered include history of numerals, the decimal system, expanded numerals and exponential notation, numerals in…