This study was designed to investigate the cognitive level of development and mathematical fluency of first grade children. A total of (N = 100) 6- and 7-year-olds from two low socioeconomic level elementary schools participated in this study. Piaget's conservation-of-liquid task was administered to children to determine their cognitive level of…

This paper proposes a semantic analysis in which meanings of word problems are structures that include class and order relations, and suggests a hypothesis of developmental levels that can account for children's performance of these problems at various ages. The different kinds of problems vary in the complexity of semantic structures and the…

The problem was to determine the relationship between performance on Piagetian class inclusion tasks and on missing-addend computation and verbal problem tasks for first-Grade students, and to describe the methods used by the children in solving both the missing-addend and the verbal problem tasks. From 168 first-grade students who received a…

Described are two methods of calculating developed by the Dutch WISKOBAS Project: addition and subtraction with a loop abacus and multiplication using a grid model. (MP)

Children's understanding of mathematical concepts, written symbolization of these concepts, and a specifically defined readiness factor were investigated. Thirty-eight first graders were classified as ready or not ready according to scores on a readiness test. Students were paired, with 11 pairs of not-ready and 8 pairs of ready students; one…

The current research explored children's ability to recognize and explain different concepts both with and without reference to physical objects so as to provide insight into the development of children's addition and subtraction understanding. In Study 1, 72 7- to 9-year-olds judged and explained a puppet's activities involving three conceptual…

A study was undertaken of the effects of formal education and conservation of numerousness on addition and subtraction problem types. Thirty-six kindergarten and 36 first-grade subjects randomly selected from one area of a school district were administered measures of conservation, problem-solving success, and modeling ability. Following factor…

Research conducted in several countries has shown consistent patterns of performance on "change,""combine," and "compare" word problems involving addition and subtraction. These findings are interpreted within a theoretical framework which emphasizes development of levels of word problem-solving ability related to…

Discusses developmentally appropriate activities for teaching counting skills for kindergarten and early first-grade programs. Describes four activities: (1) counting on; (2) counting back; (3) auditory patterning; and (4) visual patterning based on the 10-frame. (YP)

In two parallel one-year studies, solution strategies for subtraction number facts and achievement patterns of matched groups of first graders in two different instructional programs were examined. Significant differences between groups were found favoring the strategy approach. (Author/CW)

An information-processing task analysis of what kindergarten children might do if they are successful in representing and solving certain types of simple arithmetic story problems served to identify five key components. Data obtained from the interview testing of 66 kindergarten children served to suggest a major difference between successful and…

Strategies used by 150 children as they solved addition and subtraction verbal problems were studied over a period of one-and-a-half years. Number size and presence of manipulative materials were variables manipulated in individual interviews given at three separate intervals. Two addition and four subtraction tasks were used. Processes changed…

This study investigated the relationships between Piagetian logical reasoning abilities with an information processing capacity, and first-grade children's performance on verbal addition and subtraction problems. An analysis of simple arithmetic problems indicated that several reasoning abilities identified by Piaget are needed to achieve…

Report provides new data concerning children's accuracy as measured by previous studies and clarifies progress of first graders during entire year on difficult single-digit addition and subtraction problems. Discussion focuses on advantages of an adding on interpretation of subtraction and the importance of emphasizing conceptual understanding…

This form rates childrens' grasp of basic mathematical concepts and procedures. See TM 001 111 for details of the program in which it is used. (DLG)