This study, involving 34 third graders, assessed the differential effects of a specific and general strategy on experts and novices' transfer and maintenance performance of part-whole addition and subtraction word problems using dynamic assessment. Dynamic assessment indicated important differences between experts and novices. (Author/JDD)

Discusses the use of grocery store advertisements to make story problems more relevant. Students made up problems and presented them to the class. (MKR)

Described is a study in which elementary education students were asked to solve word problems by looking at the mathematical structure or the surface structure of the problems. Included are the methodology, data analysis, results, and discussion. The word problems used in the study are appended. (KR)

Presents suggestions for teaching math word problems to elementary students. The strategies take into consideration differences between reading in math and reading in other areas. A problem-prediction game and four self-checking activities are included along with a magic password challenge. (SM)

A mapping procedure based on the SOLO Taxonomy developmental model was used to classify the problem-solving strategies of students (n=34) in grades K-2. Only one multiplication problem was used to isolate three components of the problem-solving procedure. (MDH)

Thirty-one students (ages 8-14) with learning disabilities or behavior disorders solved arithmetic word problems while a narrative protocol was developed. Eight types of cognitive processing difficulties were identified (such as lack of self-correction and inclusion of extraneous information), and the utility of protocol analysis as an assessment…

Presents three teaching strategies requiring active student participation in which students (1) create and solve their own word problems; (2) generate trigonometric expressions to be solved by their classmates; and (3) act as points to model a basic locus of points. (MDH)

By incorporating writing into everyday math activities, elementary students become better communicators and learn to express themselves, mathematically and otherwise, with more confidence and clarity. An elementary teacher presents several successful writing activities from her math classroom, including a math word web, a guided-response sheet,…

Examined the performance of English language learners (ELLs) on mathematics word problems, the effect of accommodation strategies, and the impact of students' background characteristics on accommodation effectiveness. Results for 946 eighth graders show that ELL students were helped by modified English, extra time, and use of a glossary plus extra…

Illustrates flexible grouping configurations, discussing how different perspectives and theories of peer learning are required to account for their intended effects. A classroom example is provided to illustrate each context discussed. The article also presents examples of an instructional strategy in one multiage classroom where the teachers…

Many children read mathematics word problems and directly translate them to arithmetic operations. More sophisticated problem solvers transform word problems into object-based or mental models. Subsequent solutions are often qualitatively different because these models differentially support cognitive processing. Based on a conception of problem…

During the preliminary stages of classroom-based research, this author conducted a sequence of interviews with six seventh graders regarding their understanding of fractions, decimals, ratios, and proportions. The students represented a variety of ability levels and were all in their first semester of prealgebra. The interviews began with notions…

Computer algebra systems are being used more and more frequently in mathematics courses of all levels. For instructors to use these systems effectively, they need to have an idea of how the systems work. To illuminate the mechanics, the implementation of a simple computer algebra system will be described. Further, if instructors understand the…

According to Kilpatrick (1987), in the mathematics classrooms problem posing can be applied as a "goal" or as a means of instruction. Using problem posing as a goal of instruction involves asking students to respond to a range of problem-posing prompts. The main goal of this article is a classification of mathematics questions created by Years 8…

Research into the teaching and learning of language and content in mainstream classrooms research tends to treat content as a fixed body of knowledge to be (re)constructed by learners. There is little research which seeks to understand how language and the curriculum are constructed and related in interaction by learners. In this paper, I report…