The leisure preferences of a seven-year-old boy with severe mental retardation were systematically analyzed through the application of a computerized assessment procedure. A switch-activated microcomputer and a computer program designed to interpret the switch activations enabled the boy to choose among three leisure activities: auditory, visual,…

Fourth grade children (n=20) were matched on a pretest and randomly assigned to either a wooden base-10 block or computerized microworld group. Instruction was designed to establish relationships between notation and meaning, extending whole number numeration to decimal numeration. Neither group changed whole-number notational methods nor had…

Investigates effects of a manipulative instructional approach and traditional instruction on the achievement of subtraction facts for 4 African-American and 26 white second graders in a rural North Carolina school. Greater gains in achievement of subtraction basic facts occurred with the manipulative instruction approach. Implications for…

Describes a program in second-grade Dutch mathematics classes that emphasizes mental addition and subtraction of two-digit numbers up to 100. Deals with a strategy of counting by 10s from any number. (Contains 56 references.) (RLB)

Provides an overview of a field-based teacher-preparation program, indicating how the elementary mathematics methods course plays a part. Also shares insights from observations in elementary classrooms related to mathematics (use of manipulatives, textbook choices, instructional delivery systems, and placement of teacher-education students) and in…

The development of children's cosmologies was investigated over a 13-year period, using multi-modal, in-depth interviews with 686 children (217 boys, 227 girls from New Zealand and 129 boys, 113 girls from China), aged 2-18. Children were interviewed while they "observed" the apparent motion of the Sun and Moon, and other features of the…

This issue highlights seven distinct studies. The first study examines the perceptions of early childhood educators and elementary educators concerning their beliefs about young children and how those beliefs translate to practice. The second explores joint book reading among parents and very young children. The third investigates the importance…

Research is only beginning to show the benefits of the effective use of manipulatives with students who have disabilities. This article highlights how teachers can incorporate three manipulative instructional strategies to help students with high-incidence disabilities.

The language immersion approach of the Intercultural Montessori School (Oak Park, Illinois) for children aged 2-6 years is described and discussed. An introductory section gives background information on early work with immersion by Maria Montessori, a personal experience leading to the school's establishment, and the response of language and…

This document reports on a small-group teaching experiment whose goal was to understand how fourth- and sixth-grade children develop concepts of common and decimal fractions. Both the Grade 6 and the Grade 4/5 children were taught common and decimal fractions through discussion and by using manipulatives, beginning with basic concepts of common…

A collection of articles from the journals "Arithmetic Teacher" and "Teaching Children Mathematics" provide ideas for the instruction and use of teacher-made instructional aids. Guidelines used to select articles for this collection called for the articles to have a clear purpose and be related to a contemporary topic in the elementary school…

The philosophy underlying the African Primary Science Program, according to the author, is that the essence of science is not merely the statement of principles; it involves the struggle to find out about the material world. This program sought to develop the intellectual alertness of the children, and improve their questioning, and problem…

Described are many concrete readiness activities within ten broad categories that are designed to provide children with a solid foundation for mathematics and that help prevent learning difficulties in mathematics. Preschool mathematical experiences form the foundation for all studies in mathematics. Without a sufficient number of appropriate…

The second volume of the report by the Children's Museum of Boston on the development of MATCH Boxes (Materials and Activities for Teachers and Children) contains materials related to the evaluation of these multi-media kits. The MATCH Boxes, designed for use by a teacher with 30 children for two to three weeks, covered 16 different topics, the…

Teachers have always engaged in analysis of each student's learning responses. The simplest and most common example is the teacher's evaluation of a student's answer as being either correct or incorrect. Teachers also plan subsequent activities based upon this analysis. This analytic approach adapts the instruction or practice to match the…