In this paper we consider the problem of making design of digital games accessible to primary school children and their teachers, and we argue for the need of digital games that are easy to alter by young learners. We know from previous research projects that digital games do not enable children to express their creativity at full, in contrast…

This article examines the bodies of knowledge that influence and inform the teaching of mathematics methods courses for preservice early childhood teachers, focusing on the U.S. context. In particular, the article reports on an analysis of scholarship published over the last 20 years in four journals (two focused on early childhood education and…

When children learn to count, they map newly acquired symbolic representations of number onto preexisting nonsymbolic representations. The nature and timing of this mapping is currently unclear. Some researchers have suggested this mapping process helps children understand the cardinal principle of counting, while other evidence suggests that this…

To improve mathematics achievement of U.S. students and to assure that "what and how students are taught should reflect not only the topics within a certain academic discipline, but also the key ideas that determine how knowledge is organized and generated within that discipline" are dual goals of the Common Core State Standards for…

These Proceedings are a written record of the research presented at the 40th Annual Meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME-NA) held in Greenville, South Carolina, November 15-18, 2018. The theme of the conference is "Looking Back, Looking Ahead: Celebrating 40…

What does it look like to "understand" operations with fractions? The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) uses the term "understand" when describing expectations for students' knowledge related to each of the fraction operations within grades 4 through 6 (CCSSI 2010). Furthermore, CCSSM elaborates that…

The chemical elements present in the modern periodic table are arranged in terms of atomic numbers and chemical periodicity. Periodicity arises from quantum mechanical limitations on how many electrons can occupy various shells and subshells of an atom. The shell model of the atom predicts that a maximum of 2, 8, 18, and 32 electrons can occupy…

Previous research shows that children's ability to estimate numbers of items using their Approximate Number System (ANS) predicts later math ability. To more closely examine the predictive role of early ANS acuity on later abilities, we assessed the ANS acuity, math ability, and expressive vocabulary of preschoolers twice, six months apart. We…

In this study, the performance of typically developing 6- to 8-year-old children on an approximate number discrimination task, a symbolic comparison task, and a symbolic and nonsymbolic number line estimation task was examined. For the first time, children's performances on these basic cognitive number processing tasks were explicitly contrasted…

The aim of this paper is to propose a theoretical model to analyze prospective teachers' reasoning and knowledge of real numbers, and to provide an empirical verification of it. The model is based on Sierpinska's theory of theoretical thinking. Data were collected from 59 prospective teachers through a written test and interviews. The data…

The importance of understanding the various uses of the literal symbol in algebra, and in particular the idea of generalised number, is well documented in the literature. Many research findings have also reported student difficulties with this vital and central concept. This research study examines the use of a combination of historical and…

Pattern can be identified in many forms. Mathematicians appreciate pattern and its ability to describe, to explain, to determine, to create a sense of security--"I can see a pattern...", and pattern is part of the sense making process for learners, from a very early age. Number squares exhibit a multiplicity of patterns that may vary according to…

The terms of a conditionally convergent series may be rearranged to converge to any prescribed real value. What if the harmonic series is grouped into Fibonacci length blocks? Or the harmonic series is arranged in alternating Fibonacci length blocks? Or rearranged and alternated into separate blocks of even and odd terms of Fibonacci length?

This case study of a PST's understanding of regrouping with multidigit whole numbers in base-10 and non-base-10 contexts shows that although she seems to have all the knowledge elements necessary to give a conceptually based explanation of regrouping in the context of 3-digit numbers, she is unable to do so. This inability may be due to a lack of…

For n = 1, 2, ... , we give a solution (x[subscript 1], ... , x[subscript n], N) to the Diophantine integer equation [image omitted]. Our solution has N of the form n!, in contrast to other solutions in the literature that are extensions of Euler's solution for N, a sum of squares. More generally, for given n and given integer weights m[subscript…