Negative numbers extend our number line and greatly simplify our calculations, but sometimes students struggle with the concepts. These fun activities will help kids to make sense of the "other half" of our number system.

I discuss an instructional model that I have used in my number theory classes. Facets of the model include using small group work and whole class discussion, having students generate examples and counterexamples, and giving students the opportunity to write proofs and make conjectures in class. The model is designed to actively engage students in…

Translating numerals into number words is a tacit task requiring linguistic and mathematical knowledge. This project expanded on previous number production models by examining developmental differences in children's number naming errors. Ninety-six children from grades one, three, five, and seven translated a random set of numerals into number…

In this article, the author presents the results of a state project that focused on the effect of developing informal written computation processes through Years 2-4. The "developing computation" project was conducted in Tasmania over the two years 2002-2003 and involved nine schools: five government schools, two Catholic schools, and…

The author advocates for writing as an essential communication skill for learning mathematics. Mathematical diary writing is cited as a good way for students to privately represent their thinking through pictures, language, or symbols, and also as a channel for children to communicate with themselves and with their teachers. Cited research…

A major goal of instruction is for students to develop competence with numbers. This study attempts to determine the effect of instructional materials that develop number concepts and connect these concepts to mental computation procedures. The study used 16 classes of eighth-grade students and a pretest-posttest design with two treatment groups.…

An international numeracy scale compared how well adults in seven countries--the United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Sweden, Japan, Australia, and Denmark--handled some basic tasks involving numbers. The questionnaire comprised a set of 12 numeracy tasks that respondents were asked to complete using pen and paper. Within each country, the…

Increasing attention is being paid today to the place of science in general education at the preprimary, primary, and secondary levels. Educational authorities and specialists in many countries throughout the world agree about the important role that science should and can play in the context of education, but specific aims and objectives must be…

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) recommended the use of calculators in the classroom in 1989. While calculators are more readily available in classrooms today than they were a few years ago, the recommendation is rarely followed in elementary grades. One of the reasons for this is a lack of appropriate classroom materials.…

This guide is organized around a list of skills that all students should know and be able to do at each grade level from kindergarten through sixth grade. It provides parents, teachers, and students with knowledge of what is being taught in a logical scope and sequence by grade level. The purpose of this guide is to help build a basis for…

This booklet offers teacher instructions and student worksheets on number activities for gifted primary grade students. Three sections are included: (1) "moving numbers" which asks students to supply the missing member or members of addition and subtraction equations; (2) "number trails," which involve the completion of number…

The purpose of the project was to develop computer games that could be used by students in grades 1-4 as part of their mathematics instruction. Eight games were developed, covering a wide variety of mathematical topics, including number/numeration, computation, geometry, measurement, statistics, and probability. The games were field tested in 20…

In this statement the Instructional Affairs Committee of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics identifies and justifies nine key uses of the hand-held calculator in the mathematics classroom. Examples of each use are provided. This article also appears as SE 515 578. (SD)

This activity book was designed especially for the classroom teacher who is constantly on the lookout for unique and interesting ways to challenge the students' learning capacity in the area of elementary mathematics. The material presented here places a strong emphasis on defining the particular skills to be covered in each activity. All the…

This publication presents teaching strategies to develop understanding of fractions as sensible numbers. Written for the mathematics teacher in grades K-5, it gives suggestions for teacher-led discussions and structured exploratory activities. The activities are conducted with manipulative materials that emphasize the important characteristics and…