Discusses mental computation and how and when it should be taught. Describes seven properties of mental algorithms. (YP)

Presented is a method of teaching adding and subtracting as an interrelated series of patterns using a number line. Examples of the use of this method as well as the materials necessary are discussed. Applications of the method to multiplication and division are given. (CW)

Indicates how thinking strategies help children learn the basic facts for whole numbers, listing several strategies involved in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Also lists books and articles for illustrations of the strategies and how to teach them, and two sources for research findings on thinking strategies for basic facts.…

Calculators have made the arithmetic curriculum obsolete in both scope and sequence. Calculators can perform each operation as easily as any other. We should be asking if there is ever a time when we should trust paper-and-pencil computation. (MNS)

Discusses how to use calculators in the mathematics classroom. Provides some teaching examples. (YP)

Ways to make a discussion of the commutative properties of addition and multiplication more interesting to students are reviewed. An alternative promoted is a transposition-of-digits property, seen as useful in a number of instructional situations. The proposed investigation could be structured around calculator use. (MP)

Included are activities published in this regular column in the "Arithmetic Teacher" from 1980-90 organized by topics and presented in a month-by-month format. Topics include estimation, fractions and decimals, geometry and spatial sense, measurement, number sense and numeration, problem solving, statistics and probability, and whole number…

Presents an approach to help elementary school teachers understand the difficulties involved in division by zero. Teaching suggestions to help guide students are included. (YP)

Provides instructions and worksheets for activities on: (1) sorting sets (grades K-one); (2) telling place values of two-/three-digit numbers (grades two-four); (3) recognizing multiplication/division facts (grades four-six); and (4) computing problems that contain multiples of 10, place value problems, and subtraction problems with many zeros…

Three alternative methods of finding averages of two numbers are presented. (MP)

The NCTM Standards regarding whole number computation and computation and estimation are reviewed and explored. Activities for implementing this portion of the Standards in grades K-4 and 5-8 are suggested. (CW)

Discusses the generalization of the meaning of multiplication for whole numbers. Presents an example for multiplication of fractions. Provides several diagrams to help improve understanding. (YP)

Discusses the implementation of teaching estimation as portrayed in the NCTM Standards. Presents two instructional examples. (YP)

Presents four activities for the exploration of a balance, mass, the length of the balance arm, and the position of the fulcrum. Provides objectives, directions, extensions, answers, and worksheets for each activity. (YP)

Presents five small group tasks for upper elementary students to find arithmetic averages. Provides worksheets for each task. (YP)