Too many students are entering post-secondary education lacking foundational mathematics skills that are critical to performance on placement examinations. As a result, students are forced to take remedial courses that are often non-credit bearing and hinder their progress toward graduation. Research suggests that a lack of number sense may…

This document includes instructional tips on: (1) Building on students' informal understanding of sharing and proportionality to develop initial fraction concepts; (2) Helping students recognize that fractions are numbers that expand the number system beyond whole numbers, and using number lines to teach this and other fraction concepts; (3)…

To understand the concepts or principles in mathematics, children who have a concrete operational stage need physical objects that can bridge abstract concepts in mathematics. This research aims to evaluate the influence of coastal contextual learning media on a child's understanding concept in the material of numbers counting operation. This…

Two experiments examined whether concrete models support place value learning. In Experiment 1 (N = 149), 7-year-olds were trained with either a) symbols alone or b) symbols and base-10 blocks. Children in both groups showed significant growth overall, but there were specific effects favoring one training type over another. Symbols-only training…

The purpose of this study was to use calculator-assisted instruction to help two fifth-grade low-achievers learn number sense. The research process includes three stages: (1) pre-test interview to detect what kinds of number sense the students did not have; (2) calculator-assisted instruction to help them develop number sense; and (3) post-test…

In recent years, the idea of language influencing the cognitive development of an understanding of place value has received increasing attention. This study explored the influence of using explicit number names on pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students' ability to rote count, read two-digit numerals, model two-digit numbers, and identify the…

Number sense is critical to the development of higher order mathematic abilities. However, some children have difficulty acquiring these fundamental skills and the knowledge base of effective interventions/remediation is relatively limited. Based on emerging neuro-scientific research which has identified the association between finger…

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of specific, individualized training for students with different levels of mathematical difficulties. Fifty-four students, with either severe or mild math difficulties, were assigned to individualized training or to a control condition. Ten students with severe math difficulties…

Research literature is reviewed, identifying a need to design instruction to support multi-digit mental computation and critiquing conventional place value instruction. A distinctive instructional domain is proposed, called conceptual place value (CPV)--incrementing and decrementing numbers by units of ones, tens and hundreds. A design research…

A multisensory program using a counting technique was effective in teaching math skills to three elementary students with mild disabilities. Results showed significant gains in acquisition of target skills as well as maintenance and generalization to novel math problems. (Author/DB)

The abacus is a calculating tool that has been used in Asia for thousands of years. Mental abacus calculation is a skill in which an abacus image in the mind is used without the actual physical manipulation of the abacus. Using this method, people can perform extremely rapid and accurate mental calculations. Research indicates that abacus training…