These four books are intended for use by individuals who need numeracy instruction as well as by those who help such individuals. Explanations are offered of how to do a large variety of calculations; different methods of getting the right answer are also provided. Book 1 focuses on numbers, how they are written, what they mean, how they are…

This paper considers whether or not curriculum initiatives within England are in fact leading to qualitatively improved levels of thinking among children identified as lower achievers in arithmetic. Revisiting data from two earlier studies and introducing current data, the paper draws comparisons in the strategies that 8-year-old children use to…

Interviewed 59 2nd- and 44 3rd-year elementary school students concerning their solutions to arithmetic problems commensurate with their age and ability. The results indicate that as children progress through school, they continue to use counting as an important part of their problem-solving repertoire, combining counting skills in idiosyncratic…

A 14-year-old Brazilian boy in the fourth grade was given 170 problems orally, each asking for the sum of 2 2-digit numbers. Responses indicated he had invented his own algorithm for addition, similar to the school one, based largely on his experiences with money. (Contains 13 references.) (JAF)

Tested effects of a structured intervention in teaching children to represent addition and subtraction. Found significant differences between two study groups in terms of affecting the addition and subtraction operations and ability to determine which operation was appropriate. Results suggest children's exploration of real world situations should…

This paper reports the results of the second of a series of collaborative studies examining how children acquire the skills to represent and solve verbal addition and subtraction problems. The purpose of this study was to identify the cognitive processing capabilities of a group of Tasmanian (Australian) children. Fifteen cognitive tests were…

This guide is a collection of ideas for mathematics activities which were assembled and tested by primary teachers. The activities supplement the teaching of basic numeracy and include topics such as algorithms, pyramids, magic squares, multiples, and number values. The guide is organized into four sections: (1) addition and subtraction; (2)…

This paper looks at the issue of mathematics learning from a developmental perspective. It begins by focusing on the importance for teachers of understanding how mathematical thinking develops. The New Zealand Number Framework is used as an example of a developmental progression that is of particular relevance to the teaching of mathematics. The…

Investigates the effects of children solving addition and subtraction problems collaboratively in contrast to solving problems on their own. Explores the effects of ability and gender on the outcomes of group collaboration. Presents and discusses the results. Includes references and an appendix. (CMK)

This article examines the level of understanding by children (six- to seven-year-olds) of the addition and equality symbols. The article reports that about half of the subjects were unable to write the mathematical expression of simple addition while they were able to do it verbally. (YP)

Compares two experimental programs for teaching mental addition and subtraction in the Dutch second grade (N=275). Discusses realistic program design (RPD) and gradual program design (GPD). Concludes that RPD pupils show a more varied use of solution procedures than GPD pupils. Contains 46 references. (Author/ASK)

This book provides practical ideas and information for volunteer tutors and teachers about teaching numeracy, as well as a reference section that concentrates on specific content areas. The first part of the book considers teaching techniques, the planning and presentation of numeracy material, evaluation of progress, reinforcement of newly…

Most studies of children's solution processes on simple addition and subtraction word problems have used individual interviews or the analysis of error patterns on paper-and-pencil tests as the primary data-gathering techniques. The present paper reports an investigation in which the contribution of eye-movement data was explored for studying…

The purpose of this study was to identify the working memory capacity (M-space) for a group of 139 children (4 to 8 years of age) enrolled at Sandy Bay Infant School in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Four M-space tests -- The Counting Span Test (Case and Kurland, 1978), Mr. Cucui Test (DeAvila and Havassy, 1974), the Digit Placement Test (Case,…

Preschool children (n=115) in Poland were tested in five areas: counting, equipotency of sets, dividing, adding, and comparing. Results showed that these children already had informal knowledge of many of the concepts and skills included in the mathematics curriculum in the early grades. (PDD)