Research has shown the importance of helping students, especially those with mild-to-moderate learning disabilities, to offload information during problem-solving. When students can get their thoughts onto paper, number line strategies can help them develop a firm foundation in mathematical problem-solving while understanding the relationships…

This article aims to outline the important role of the summary phase within a mathematics instructional model and provide six strategies to support teachers to move beyond "share time." By drawing upon good teaching strategies during the summary phase, teachers can enhance the learning experience for themselves and for their students.…

Problem solving has been the focus of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematical Practice. Helping students acquire critical-thinking and problem-solving skills has become the primary goal of mathematics education across all grade levels. However, research has found that many students struggle with word problems because of poor text…

We use number sense in our daily lives to make decisions about quantities. This number sense is connected to our mental number line, in which we draw on our understanding of physical number lines. We often use number lines in the elementary grades for counting and to represent mathematical operations, such as addition and subtraction. Such tasks…

"Mathematical Lens" uses photographs as a springboard for mathematical inquiry and appears in every issue of "Mathematics Teacher." Recently while dismantling an old wooden post-and-rail fence, Roger Turton noticed something very interesting when he piled up the posts and rails together in the shape of a prism. The total number…

"Focus in Grade 1: Teaching with Curriculum Focal Points" describes and illustrates learning paths for the mathematical concepts and skills of each grade 1 Focal Point as presented in Curriculum Focal Points for Prekindergarten through Grade 8 Mathematics. It includes representational supports for teaching and learning that can facilitate…

This article discusses a comparative study, funded by the European Union, of the teaching of mathematics in five European countries, (Flanders, England, Finland, Hungary and Spain) to students in the upper primary (ages 10-12) and lower secondary (12-14) years. These ages were chosen as they represent a time when many students' experiences of…

Whenever teachers of young children get together there will be differences of opinion about how far children should be taught to count. Some will argue that the focus should be on small numbers to 9, building up the notion of what, say, the name 5 means, what it looks like, and how it can be represented. Others argue that with ice blocks retailing…