Children with mathematical difficulties need to spend more time than typically achieving children on solving even simple equations. Since these tasks already require a larger share of their cognitive resources, additional demands imposed by the need to switch between tasks may lead to a greater decline of performance in children with mathematical…

There is a call for enabling students to use a range of efficient mental and written strategies when solving addition and subtraction problems. To do so, students should recognise numerical structures and be able to change a problem to an equivalent problem. The purpose of this article is to suggest an activity to facilitate such understanding in…

Students who can compute mathematical problems in their heads have learned a skill that is important for estimating and for understanding the number system. Practice activities that can help students master mental computation skills are described. (PP)

Presents five activities focusing on mental computation and estimation for the K-3, 3-5, 4-6, and 6-8 grade levels that require the student, acting as a judge, to review solutions to problems and to pronounce and justify a verdict. Provides suggested materials, questions, possible extensions, answers, and worksheets for each activity. (MDH)

Directions are given for preparing a puzzle that may be used to provide practice in computation. (MP)

A collection of games and puzzles that teachers can use to replace or supplement the usual textbook subtraction examples involving large numbers is given. Most of the nine activities are self-checking. (MNS)

A finger method for subtraction that has proved successful with many young subtraction-troubled mathematics students is presented. (MP)

Specific instruction in different contexts provide needed background for solving addition and subtraction problems. The categories of problems and relative difficulties are presented, followed by an explanation of a successful instructional sequence. (MNS)

A collection of motivational activities to introduce and reinforce basic subtraction facts is presented. Emphasized are the use of pairs with the same differences, such as 7-3=4, 6-2=4, and 5-1=4. A three-page test that can be used to test and retest each student is included; after graphing the results, the test can be cut apart and used as a set…

Helping teachers to build a strong bridge from concrete experiences to algorithms is the focus. A detailed sequence of activities is described. (MN)

Problems based on shopping experiences are presented on two posters. Children practice estimation and computation with addition and subtraction. (MNS)

A modification to the ancient game of NIM is promoted which can provide a set of games seen as suitable for promoting practice in subtraction and simple strategy formation for a range of pupils in both the primary and secondary grades. The game versions noted are normally for two players. (MP)

The author argues that children not only can but should create their own computational algorithms and that the teacher's role is "merely" to help. How children in grades K-3 add and subtract is the focus of this article. Grouping, directionality, and exchange are highlighted. (MNS)

Five-frames are proposed as manipulative material to increase children's ability to identify the number of objects without direct counting. How to use frames and beansticks to construct basic facts without counting is discussed. (MNS)

The framework of Tharp and Gallimore (1988) was adapted to form a ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development) Model of Mathematical Proficiency that identifies two interacting kinds of learning activities: instructional conversations that assist understanding and practice that develops fluency. A Class Learning Path was conceptualized as a classroom path…