Using Logo to work through a maze is described. Suggested programs to help students learn to debug programs are also included, along with the story of the original "computer bug." (MNS)

Assessment data and other research findings on fractions are briefly reviewed. These indicate that students are able to add and subtract fractions but have substantial difficulty finding and using common denominators. Selected results for nine-year-olds from the first and second national assessments of mathematics are used to portray what students…

Diagnostic teaching is described and discussed. Different types of errors are explained and examples of errors and their possible diagnoses are given. (MK)

A computer program is given which will generate a list of descriptions of the items to which a student has responded incorrectly on the Keymath Diagnostic Arithmetic Test. It is designed for the TRS-80, Model III, with two disk drives. The documentation lists all required materials, describes the six options and how to use them, indicates the…

This study involved 179 9-year-olds and 352 13-year-olds in New Zealand. Four addition and four subtraction tasks were set to ascertain students' ability to use the number line. Comparison of these data with results from the national assessment in the United States are given. (MNS)

Fourth-grade students in Title I mathematics took 40-problem tests to determine types of persistent errors made in addition and subtraction. Tests, administered to 117 students (addition) and 104 students (subtraction), were analyzed for basic fact, random, or procedural errors. Findings are reported and discussed, and recommendations for…

The informal subtraction strategies that children develop are discussed in detail, with the role of the counting-down strategy described. Problems and remedies for difficulties caused by counting backward and the double count are also presented. (MNS)

Diagnostic evaluation is a major way to help students overcome errors. How such evaluation can be done is discussed, with comments on what should be checked and recorded by the teacher. (MNS)

The evidence suggests that students in grades 5 through 8 have difficulty relating isometric type drawings to the rectangular solids they represent. Errors made by students were analyzed and the effect of instruction in spatial visualization activities assessed. (MNS)

What two teachers found when they took a close look at the results of a sentence-solving test given in grades four and five is reported. Error patterns appeared less frequently after instruction but recurred on retention tests. How students can be helped is suggested. (MNS)

Ten examples of when the sequences of key presses given in calculator instruction booklets are either inefficient or lead to an incorrect answer are given. (MNS)

Some possible reasons why remediation is needed in mathematics instruction are presented. The need to diagnose the problem and then provide appropriate, effective remediation is discussed. Four guiding principles for diagnosis are presented, followed by six questions covering hypotheses about the source of the difficulty. Suggestions are then…

The need for teachers to be proficient in diagnosing pupil difficulty in mathematics is advocated. Some facets of student behavior to be observed by the teacher are noted, including reversals, lack of retention, and lack of differentiation. All are characteristics associated with dyslexia. Problems of dyslexic pupils are noted and some general…

This report was designed to provide information on the effectiveness of the mathematics instructional program in grade 2 in Hawaii, including identification of deficiency areas. The Stanford Achievement Test, Primary Level II, was administered in May 1984 to 12,106 students in grade 2. In general, these students performed better than the national…

Some research about students with learning disabilities that textbook publishers need to consider as they revise problem-solving materials is briefly cited. (MNS)