This paper focuses on the importance of identifying students' Prior Knowledge (PK) for the teaching and learning of mathematics. Specifically, we present a framework that exemplifies the core elements teachers need to consider in relation to the purpose, design and implementation of learning experiences that enable PK to be activated and assessed.…

In 2 experiments, I studied the effects of an Equivalence Based Instruction (EBI) math intervention on the emergence of untaught selection responses and abstraction to production responses. In Experiment I, using a multiple baseline design, I implemented the EBI intervention among a group of 17 first grade participants with varying levels of math…

Digital curricula can constrain teachers with ready-made instructional materials. The authors used Mathematics Teaching Practices (MTPs) to modify a digital curriculum to engage students in more thoughtful and meaningful lessons. In this article, the authors visit one of their third-grade classrooms, in which they used the prescriptive digital…

Previous studies have proposed that students' mathematical understanding develops dynamically through the process known as folding back, in which learners revisit earlier forms of understanding and use them to build even deeper levels of mathematical understanding. Digital learning environments, where students can manipulate representations, are…

Kinetic energy is usually the entry point for the study of energy in physics and is often perceived as unproblematic. We present evidence, however, that some learners who seem to have accepted the concept, from elementary school students to college physics majors and in-service teachers, nevertheless do not consistently attribute kinetic energy to…

Prior short-term studies have shown the effectiveness of worked examples and self-explanation prompts in improving elementary students' mathematics knowledge. However, year-long classroom-based interventions have been tested only with older students. The purpose of the current study was to explore the effectiveness of a year-long classroom…

Promoting argumentation based on evidence allows students to give meaning to the phenomena observed, enabling the construction of knowledge. Children's argumentative discourse can be activated by appropriate instruction, but there is little information on argumentation at early ages and there is a need for the teacher to understand how to foster…

David Stephens, a 4th grade teacher in Washington State, was preparing a lesson plan about desert wildlife (all names are pseudonyms). He was planning on assigning his students the chapter book, "Desert Giant: The World of the Saguaro Cactus." The students had divergent knowledge about the topic. For example, Maryam had grown up in…

This study examines factors that influence readers' cognitive processing (i.e., inference generation) and the development of a mental representation of text: comprehension skill and working memory (WM). Elementary students (N = 61) participated in causal questioning conditions with narrative texts to examine text- and knowledge-based inferences…

Understanding fraction magnitudes is foundational for later math achievement. To represent a fraction "x/y," children are often taught to use "partitioning": break the whole into "y" parts, and shade in "x" parts. Past research has shown that partitioning on number lines supports children's fraction…

Understanding fraction magnitudes is foundational for later math achievement. To represent a fraction x/y, children are often taught to use "partitioning": Break the whole into y parts and shade in x parts. Past research has shown that partitioning on number lines supports children's fraction magnitude knowledge more than partitioning on…

Expanding definitions of literacy requires classroom instruction that provides multiple pathways for students to demonstrate their understanding of the content and communicate knowledge. Privileging the use of visual and multimodal texts as valued school communication may create equitable practices for students who are new to English or struggle…

A flipped classroom strategy is a teaching and learning strategy that had showed an increase in interest among educators from post-secondary to elementary educators. Flipped classrooms integrate technology as a resource where students can access lessons outside of the classroom. Instructional materials such as videos and podcasts are created,…

Co-written by a professor of philosophy and an experienced teacher, "Philosophy for Older Children" is a concise, practical guide which explains how to conduct philosophical enquiries with children from the age of nine upwards. This book contains detailed plans for conducting 24 philosophical enquiries, which have all been successfully…

Throughout their careers in education, the authors of this article have had opportunities to listen to the stories of their students. Their students have shared experiences and the impact of these experiences on their beliefs, identities, and confidence in doing mathematics. These stories have inspired them to reflect on their own practices and…