Arithmetic Teacher articles from April 1994

Arithmetic Teacher archives from April 1994

Connecting literature, language, and fractions. (teaching fractions to elementary students)
April 1, 1994... Because of the symbolic nature of fractions and the procedural operations required to manipulate fractions mathematically, the concept of fractions is often difficult for students in early grades to master (Van de Walle 1990). Perhaps this...

Exploring estimation through children's literature.
April 1, 1994... Estimation is a crucial mathematical strategy that can be woven throughout the entire mathematics curriculum. The strategy can certainly foster the development of many of the goals advocated by the NCTM's curriculum and evaluation standards...

Making connections with two-digit multiplication.
April 1, 1994... The mathematics curriculum in Norfolk Public Schools is arranged in a spiral, with concepts from twelve basic strands continually reviewed and developed. An emphasis is placed on connecting new ideas with previously studied concepts and on using...

Polydrons and three-dimensional geometry. (teaching polyhedral properties through polydrons and cooperative learning)(includes activity sheets)
April 1, 1994... Empower--that word is key for mathematics teachers. We want to empower our students to learn mathematics, and teachers attuned to the Professional Standards for Teaching Mathematics (NCTM 1991) are seeking ways to accomplish this goal by...

Learn about statistics - math league baseball.
April 1, 1994... I wanted an enjoyable but practical way to introduce concepts of statistics to my sixth graders while reinforcing fundamental arithmetic skills. This activity gives students hands-on experience in solving real-world problems while granting them...

Calendar mathematics.
April 1, 1994... The calendar is designed to speak directly to students, giving them open-ended questions intended to engage their intellect through their interests. Students are encouraged to work on the activities individually, in pairs, or in small groups. No...

The influence of teachers' beliefs and knowledge on learning environments. (Implementing The Professional Standards for Teaching Mathematics)
April 1, 1994... Seth was sitting in his second-grade classroom on the third day of school. He'd just finished writing on his paper after his teacher, Ms. Kates, had given the class a problem to solve. When asked what he wrote, he held up his paper and displayed...

The role of experience in the learning of mathematics. (AT Classic)
April 1, 1994... Learning mathematics, like learning language and the aesthetic subjects, is an active process and should call into play our imaginative and creative powers so that the subject is a delight to pupils of all ages. Investigations of every aspect of...

Clock Shop. (Software Review) (Evaluation)
April 1, 1994... The Clock Shop is a game composed of eight different lessons that help students practice reading and writing time. Students set the time on an analog clock from a digital clock, and vice versa. They also gain practice setting the time on both...

Coin Critters. (Software Review) (Evaluation)
April 1, 1994... Coin Critters lets students practice using coins of the United States monetary system. Menu items permit the user to choose from nine options ranging from the simple recognition of heads and tails to decision making in purchasing items and making...

Jungle Quest. (Software Review) (Evaluation)
April 1, 1994... Jungle Quest is an arithmetic adventure game that drills players on the whole-number operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The player explores a mythical land in search of a captured king and his treasure. To complete...

Preschool Pack. (Software Review) (Evaluation)
April 1, 1994... Preschool Pack offers six different experiences. ShapeWorks gives practice in shape, size, and pattern recognition; AlphaWorks is the traditional "z is for zebra" routine, with a phrase recited by the computer; Counting 1 2 3 also uses voice...

Turbo Math Facts. (Software Review) (Evaluation)
April 1, 1994... Turbo Math Facts is a tutorial program designed to tutor students in the arithmetic skills of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The student's task is to perform required operations on randomly selected pairs of numbers. Each...

Problem Solving: Ratio and Percent. (Software Review) (Evaluation)
April 1, 1994... Problem Solving: Ratio and Percent is designed for students in grades 3 through 8. It affords students an opportunity to practice computational skills related to ratio, proportion, and percent. Students are also required to use such...

Arithmetic.
April 1, 1994... Illustrator Ted Rand takes Carl Sandburg's well-known poem "Arithmetic" and transforms it into a unique anamorphic adventure. An anamorphic, or formed anew, image is one that has been intentionally stretched or condensed so that it looks...

Hidden Logic Puzzles.
April 1, 1994... This collection of logic puzzles uses seven different formats. The most familiar consists of standard cryptography in which letter combinations must be decoded into sentences. A more interesting variant is the use of a telephone keypad to decode...

MATHNET Casebook, 2 vols.
April 1, 1994... MATHNET Casebooks 1 and 2 offer an enticing format for upper elementary or early middle school students. The multidisciplinary approach to mathematics is intriguing and cannot but help to draw the students into solving the cases and doing the...

Moving from One to Ten.
April 1, 1994... A moving adventure is the context for this counting book. After saying good-bye to all his friends, a young boy named David embarks on one long car ride, accompanied by two angry cats, three worried sisters, four handy tools (crayons, cookies,...

My First Number Book.
April 1, 1994... This number book for primary-grade students presents them with a variety of mathematical concepts and strategies. it begins by asking readers to sort various objects, such as animals, clothes, leaves, and fruit. Children note similarities and...

One Smiling Grandma.
April 1, 1994... This counting book for young children introduces the numbers 1 to 10 as a young girl describes various sights on her Caribbean island. In rhyming format readers hear about "One smiling grandma in a rocking chair / Two yellow bows tied on braided...

Only One.
April 1, 1994... Here is a unique counting book centered on a country fair. Sets of objects that are typically seen at a fair are represented, such as musicians, wagons, rabbits, horses on a merry-go-round, cows, and so on. However, the special feature of this...

Who Wants One?
April 1, 1994... A little girl stands beside her magician's box and asks her younger brother, "Do you want one? / One butterfly, one raisin bun / One rainbow coming with the sun / Do you want one?" Although he responds, "Yes, I want one!" the little girl...

Authentic Assessment.
April 1, 1994... A comprehensive overview of the assessment movement provides a backdrop for this discussion of alternatives to the machine-scored test. Detailed illustrations from literature, social studies, science, mathematics, and foreign language assist...

Open-ended Questions.
April 1, 1994... The focus is on one approach to, and a suggested process for, incorporating higher-level thinking through writing in any instructional program. A framework, independent of grade level and content, for writing open-ended questions is shared, with...

Best Practice: New Standards for Teaching and Learning in America's Schools.
April 1, 1994... Best Practice is a very readable review of current thinking in curriculum and instruction in the major academic areas. Its strength is in its purpose: to identify and build on the commonalities in the recommendations of professional educators in...

Butterflies Abound!
April 1, 1994... This book is an excellent sourcebook about butterflies for the classroom teacher in grades K-4 and would save many hours of research. Although an index would be helpful, the cross-references within the book should permit ready access to other...

Exploring Attributes.
April 1, 1994... This book is an excellent source for any teacher who wants to use attribute blocks more efficiently. The author includes a template and directions for making individual paper attribute sets and corresponding label cards that could be useful for a...

Mathemagics: How to Look Like a Genius without Really Trying.
April 1, 1994... Mathemagics is an entertaining book that can change the way one mentally plays with numbers. The authors may call their procedures "tricks," but to a mathematics educator, these "tricks" are merely alternative and sometimes unusual algorithms....

Math Games for Adult and Child.
April 1, 1994... Games are very exciting for children. I like the directions and the interaction for child and parent in the games described in this book. These games support the NCTM's curriculum standards and can promote mathematical thinking for young...

Maths Talk.
April 1, 1994... Maths Talk was produced by a subcommittee of the Mathematical Association as a booklet to guide the use of spoken language in elementary school mathematics classrooms. It is centered on the recommendations contained in both the English and the...

Mental Methods in Mathematics: A First Resort.
April 1, 1994... This booklet was written by a subcommittee of the Mathematical Association in England. It argues the importance of mental mathematics and cites the growth of mixed-ability classes and the decline of traditional teacher-led classes as reasons for...

Planning and Organizing for Multicultural Instruction, 2nd ed.
April 1, 1994... Gwendolyn C. Baker's second edition of her book, though imperfect, is a noteworthy volume for any professional library. Planning and Organizing for Multicultural Instruction is also a practical and comprehensive manual for all aspects of...