Presented is a study that underscores the extent to which students do not understand the use or meaning of letters in equations. (MP)

A description is given of a calculator-oriented arithmetic course given at a community college. Problem solving was the primary objective of the course. (MK)

Presents the dice game "Drop Dead" as an example of an absorbing Markov chain. Determines the expected length and expected score of a turn of the game. (ASK)

Presents the classroom activity of finding a Hamiltonian circuit that helps students understand the properties of geometric shapes and symmetry. (ASK)

Highlights the argument that states that problem solving is much more than just solving problems, by focusing on problem-solving history, George Polya's view of problem solving, Asians' successful use of multiple intuitive solutions, and other examples. (ASK)

Presents an activity introducing probability and patterns to multigrade students. Uses the storybook "The Thirteen Days of Halloween" to demonstrate numbers, patterns, and probability. (ASK)

Word problems as used within the culture of mathematics education often promote a suspension of sense making by the students. In the papers in this issue, an alternative conceptualization of word problems is proposed that calls for mathematical modelling that takes real world knowledge into account. (SLD)

Presents activities related to some obscure tests for divisibility, which teachers may wish to develop as illustrative examples in the classroom, or as extension activities for groups of students. Begins with an exploration of divisibility by three, then discusses application of the technique to other numbers, and for numbers written in other…

Describes a student's work on a word problem after which she was very comfortable with her answer but her work was not correct. Discusses symbol sense, goals for students, and how tasks can be used to help meet those goals. (KHR)

Presents the stair skipping problem to foster improved communication among mathematics teachers. (KHR)

Presents activities to incorporate Polya's four-step problem-solving process. (KHR)

Describes an instructional sequence that promotes student understanding of a coordinate system while simultaneously facilitating understanding of linear relationships. (Author/NB)

Describes the use of mathematics skills in daily life using a home renovation business as an example. (YDS)

Describes a teaching experiment examining the possibility of the redefinition of a multiplication problem from a problem of remembering, to a problem of figuring out why arithmetic rules make sense. (YP)

Investigates the extent to which visual considerations in calculus can be taught and be a natural part of college students' mathematical thinking. Recommends that the legitimacy of the visual approach in proofs and problem solving should be emphasized and that the visual interpretations of algebraic notions should be taught. (YP)