The goal was to help 7- and 8-year olds develop computational skills in addition and subtraction. Experimental groups received instruction emphasizing mathematical structure while control groups worked on drill activities. Results showed that emphasizing structure facilitated the development of number concepts, place value, and computational…

Reported is the status of elementary science teaching during the 1978-79 school year as indicated by a survey of 184 elementary preservice teachers, from three institutions, who had just completed eight weeks of student teaching. These data are compared with information from a national survey completed in 1971. Changes are identified and…

Three definitions of "back-to-the-basics" are given and discussed. The idea that science provides opportunities to practice the most "skill-thinking" is also discussed. (MK)

Teaching mathematics as one would teach a science course (that is, as a field of intellectual inquiry) is advocated. Four illustrative activities, most appropriate for grades 5-8, are suggested. (MK)

The process skills discussed include: observation; estimation; communication; mensuration; and graph construction and interpretation. Two activities for grade 6 and beyond are suggested. (MK)

This study compares the effectiveness of two methods of training preservice elementary teachers to diagnose and treat students' arithmetical errors. (SD)

Encourages elementary and secondary school mathematics teachers to foster skill development in approximation, estimation, interpolution and orders of magnitude. (CP)

The author presents two activities for practice with numbers and calculation. The first is an arithmetic adaptation of the familiar game of "Concentration" while the second is an unusual representation of addition, subtraction, and some properties of negative numbers. (Author/MN)

Sections look at: (1) Historical Perspective; (2) Naming the New System; (3) The Metric Units; (4) Measuring Larger and Smaller Amounts; (5) Advantage of Using the Metric System; (6) Metric Symbols; (7) Conversion from Metric to Customary System; (8) General Hints for Helping Children Understand; and (9) Current Status of Metric Conversion. (MP)

It is noted that defining subtraction independently of addition through use of physical objects can help one to illustrate the non-commutativity of this operation. Lack of awareness of the importance of the order of the digits may be a primary cause of errors in compound subtraction. (MP)

The focus is on suggestions, with examples, for teaching estimation skills. Estimating can be a very enjoyable as well as a very useful part of mathematics, helping to improve attitudes of pupils toward the subject by providing success. Estimation is shown not to be synonymous with mental arithmetic. (MP)

An overview is provided of the current literature on mathematical learning of children with a learning disability. Mathematics for the population viewed is seen to mean mainly arithmetic. It is felt more research is clearly needed on teaching arithmetic to children with a learning disability. (MP)

Sources for everyday problems are suggested and examples from newspapers are given. Also included are a sample role-playing situation and six other suggested activities. (MK)

A model for multiplication is described and used to discuss the properties of division. (SD)

A pilot project conducted in a fifth-grade class was designed to allow students to work on basic skill development at their own levels of competence. The grouping and regrouping of students after periodic diagnosis was a major feature of the project. (SD)