Math games bring out kids' natural love of numbers. Yet in the waning days of school, students can't wait for that final bell to ring. Each summer, most students lose about two months of mathematical computation skills. So how do teachers keep their students focused on math up till the end? Before sending them off for the summer, get them hooked…

The new common core standards for mathematics demand that students (and teachers!) exhibit deeper conceptual understanding. That's music to the ears of education professor John Tapper, who says teachers have overemphasized teaching procedures--and getting right answers. In his new book, "Solving for Why," he makes a powerful case for moving beyond…

Everyday, people face situations that call for adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing, and at least half of the time, these calculations are accomplished without the use of pen, paper, or calculators. Because figuring "in your head" is such an important life skill, it should have a regular role in classroom math teaching. This article…

Discusses the developmental stages in mathematical literacy for children ages 5-13 and suggests teaching methods that can be used to develop functional mathematical literacy within the school curriculum. (RB)

Describes a consumer-math-skills project in which students make geometric shapes using pretzel sticks and gumdrops, then start a shop to sell them. This requires counting costs, pricing items, setting up shop, using money, making change, and understanding profits. Students reflect on the experience and write lists of the math they used to create…

In working out exercises in addition the author became convinced of the importance of the ones place of the mind and fashioned a carefully worked technique in order to free the student from having to think about technique. (Author/RK)

A study of fourth and fifth grade classes suggests that competitive math activities give boys an advantage where cooperative math activities generally give girls an advantage. Suggestions to help teachers balance their teaching methods to decrease disparities between boys and girls are made. (MT)

Basic strategies for developing computational estimation skills are: (1) the front-end strategy, focusing on the front-end digits of the numbers; (2) the rounding strategy, rounding the original numbers to more manageable numbers; (3) the compatible number strategy, changing the original numbers to ones more similar and more manageable; and (4)…

Presents two hands-on mathematics activities for teaching K -3 students to experience fractions on a tactile level. The first uses chocolates to demonstrate that fractions can be part of a whole, can be part of a set, and are equal parts. The second has students design a classroom fraction museum with fraction exhibits designed and presented by…

Hands-on math must also involve students' minds in creative thinking. Math manipulatives must be used for uncovering, not just discovering. This paper presents guidelines for planning hands-on, minds-on math for elementary students. Suggestions include dialoging, questioning, integrating manipulatives and other tools, writing, and evaluating. (SM)

Folk music has been defined as music that folks sing. Folk math is defined as math that folks do. It's logical, useful, sensible, discusses the ways you and others really use mathematics in the outside world, and it uses language that folks use. (Editor/RK)

Presents strategies for teaching elementary students about ratio and measurement. Primary students read and discuss a story that involves measurement, then write letters of advice to one of the characters. Intermediate students read the story, write and share letters of advice, discuss the benefits of standard measures, and measure themselves. (SM)

Eight ways to use flash cards in mathematics instruction are described. These games and other gimmicks help increase students' concentration, build memory skills, sharpen thinking skills, and enliven drills. (PP)

Describes how to use a one-handed clock for teaching time telling: make a one-handed clock (hour hand only); discuss clock history; have students use approximate language to describe where the hour hand is; have students practice with their own clocks; introduce the minute hand; have students compare the clocks; and have students add minute hands…