Addresses some concerns about teaching and learning geometry by describing how The Geometer's Sketchpad software program allows for the implementation of many of the recommendations from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) in the mathematics classroom. Explains the types of activities that can be used with the software and…

Variability stands in the heart of statistics theory and practice. Concepts and judgments involved in comparing groups have been found to be a productive vehicle for motivating learners to reason statistically and are critical for building the intuitive foundation for inferential reasoning. The focus in this paper is on the emergence of beginners'…

Math can help children understand and think about the many aspects of their world through its connections to them. Teachers who see, and help children see, those connections enrich children's learning and development. Teachers know that building children's vocabularies helps them understand stories they hear and later will read. But by taking a…

In this article we explore young children's development of mathematical knowledge and reasoning processes as they worked two modelling problems (the "Butter Beans Problem" and the "Airplane Problem"). The problems involve authentic situations that need to be interpreted and described in mathematical ways. Both problems include tables of data,…

This book contains descriptions of the 122 Summer Science Camps (SSC) funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) from 1992 to 1996. This program is employed as an early intervention strategy that reaches out to a large number of disadvantaged children who are underrepresented in scientific and technical careers. The main goal of the SSC is to…

Noting that a creative approach to early childhood education allows teachers to reinforce the foundation of achievement by encouraging and expanding upon children's play activities, this book provides teacher-developed ideas and strategies for creating learning communities in the early childhood classroom. The beginning chapter introduces creative…

Describes a teacher's experiences developing and implementing a three-week interdisciplinary unit for fourth grade students that revolves around the Alaskan Iditarod sled dog race. Students read about the race history, figure out a racing budget, learn about animal breeding and care, and follow the actual progress of the racing teams via Internet…

Many students doubt that statistical distributions are of practical value. Simulation makes it possible for students to tackle challenging, understandable projects that illustrate how distributions can be used to answer "what-if" questions of the type often posed by analysts. Course materials that have been developed over two years of classroom…

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…

This document consists of the first 39 consecutive issues of the newsletter, "E.C.E. Connection," published monthly (except August) to offer information and support to early childhood practitioners. Articles from the 1994 issues include: "Some 'Affordable' Ideas To Brighten Your Classroom"; "A Notice Board: A Way To Keep…

A project sought to improve mathematics instruction at the Winnebago Public School (WPS) on the Winnebago Indian Reservation (Nebraska) and to provide purposeful interactions between preservice teachers from Wayne State College and Native American children. WPS educators, grades K-6, improved their mathematics instructional ability by attending…

This publication is designed for families with young children ages four through eight. It aims to help families acquire methods and materials through which to make mathematics more accessible for all students. Special focus is placed on those students from groups that are not traditionally well-represented in mathematics: students of color, girls,…

How kids spend summer vacation has a direct and powerful impact on their success in school. This document presents 8 brief (600-word) newspaper columns that offer parents simple tips on how to promote learning through everyday activities. Each column ends with a referral for free resources to keep children learning outside the classroom. The…

Project Spectrum is a collaborative research and development project that offers an alternative approach to assessment and curriculum development for preschool and early primary years. The project, based on Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences theory and David Henry Feldman's nonuniversal development theory, emphasizes observing children…

Why should schools have a Family Math Night? It helps students learn essential math concepts. It gives parents a chance to serve as models of motivation, persistence and competence. It promotes math success in a supportive setting. With its step-by-step directions and suggestions for both teachers and parents, this book takes the worry out of…