It is argued that mathematical modelling is important in teaching mathematics and that teachers have to create cultural support for it in the classroom. Posing an unsolvable problem for students may reveal the culture of the classroom as it exists, but its contribution to developing the needed culture that supports mathematical modelling appears…

It is argued that students who appear to ignore common sense and real-world knowledge in their approach to mathematics word problems in school are often behaving sensibly given the situation. The improvement of mathematics word problems for teaching will require changes in teacher beliefs and the use of modelling as an activity of organizing. (SLD)

Describes a study which concluded that, to restructure the mathematics curriculum, modification of existing teaching practices is required. Recommends that practices be modified to enable students to construct effective knowledge bases and become active learners. Contains 38 references. (DDR)

This study examined effects of a schema-based direct instruction strategy on the word problem-solving performance of three third- and fourth-grade students with learning disabilities. The intervention was successful in increasing the percentage of correct solutions to word problems for all three students. Maintenance was seen two to three weeks…

Presents activities designed to introduce a mathematical idea having several applications for determining the optimal location for a radio station's transmitter and the best locations for a fire station. Includes student worksheets and solutions. (KHR)

Discusses several solutions--correct and incorrect--for a "Food for Thought" problem from the May 2000 issue. Emphasizes the importance of proportional reasoning. (KHR)

Discusses a class on subtraction or difference-finding, problems such as "There are eight white flowers and five red flowers, how many more white flowers are there than red flowers?" used in the teaching of Japanese first grade children. Describes three instances of introductory teaching of "difference-finding" problems in the…

A study involving 80 undergraduates with deafness enrolled in first-year algebra courses found students were more likely to miscomprehend a relational statement and commit a reversal error when the required arithmetic operation was inconsistent with the statement's relational term. Reading ability influenced performance, and errors decreased as…

Clarifies the relationship between oral reading accuracy and the ability to solve worded arithmetic problems using literature reviews. Discusses the implications of oral reading and lists eight guidelines for mathematics teachers. Thirty-seven references are listed. (YP)

A discourse comprehension model is developed in which the initial processing is bottom-up. Word meanings are activated, propositions are formed, and inferences and elaborations are produced, regardless of the discourse context. A network of interrelated items is created which can be integrated into a coherent structure. (SLD)

Outlines techniques that teachers can use to help students develop base-10 numeration and other mathematics skills, using calculator explorations, problems that require strategies to solve, and group discussion activities. Examples of activities and problems for both primary and upper elementary grades are provided. (MDM)

Examined relationships between kindergarten children's acquisition of metacognitive knowledge related to mathematics, subjects' general ability, and the role of metacognition and ability in facilitating word problem solutions. Found that subjects acquired a substantial metacognitive knowledge about mathematical word problems, which correlated…

Examines the hypothesis that problem comprehension and computational processes interact during the solving of arithmetic word problems. Results suggest the absence of any interaction between the two processes. Questions the notion that automatized retrieval facilitates problem solving, as well as assertions suggesting that increasing computational…

Compared children's performance on initial-unknown and final-unknown problems involving the addition or subtraction of a single item. Found that although 4-year olds responded in a directionally appropriate way to the final-unknown problems but not to the corresponding initial-unknown ones, 5-year olds were able to respond appropriately to both.…

Investigated was the presence and role of cue words in word problems found in three mathematics textbooks series. The methodology and results of the study are presented. Lists of cue words for grades 3-6 are provided. (CW)