Mathematics consultants from the United States provide ongoing professional development founded on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (2000). Consultants provide teachers with sustained, hands-on opportunities to expand their abilities to teach mathematics more effectively. Readers will…

David Schwartz's classic book "How Much Is a Million?" can be the catalyst for sparking many interesting mathematical investigations. This article describes five episodes in which children in grades 2-5 all heard this familiar story read aloud to them. At each grade level, they were encouraged to think of their own way to explore the concept of…

This article summarizes the similarities and differences in grade-level learning expectations for fourth grade as described in state curriculum standards. (Contains 3 tables.)

This article describes a teacher and class as they discover that their reading comprehension strategies cross over into mathematical problem solving. The students practice using visualization techniques to improve their understanding of word problems. (Contains 5 figures.)

Learning mathematics has traditionally been thought of as a sequential progression. Children learn to count to 10, then to 20, and then to 100. They learn to add without regrouping and then with regrouping. The authors teach addition before multiplication and the two-times table before the six-times table. They usually teach division as a separate…

This article describes an example of a fourth-grade lesson from Taiwan in which number sense is developed through real classroom interactions.

Instructional settings are developed for conceptual understanding of measurement for the fourth-grade students to engage limited English proficient (LEP) students in effectively communicating about mathematics. When naturally enticed to compare solutions, the students were motivated to explain their mathematical thinking and understand the…

Describes how using the familiar "Magic Triangle" puzzle with a class of 4th grade students contributed to the development of a supportive mathematical community. (Author/NB)

This article describes teachers working collaboratively to plan mathematics lessons in a technology-rich environment. Addressing the needs of their diverse students, in particular, English Language Learners and students with special needs, the authors discuss how a technology-rich learning environment influences critical features of the classroom.…

This article describes how Japanese curriculum treats fractions. Several questions are raised concerning the way fractions are typically taught in North America. (Contains 1 table and 8 figures.)

Examines fourth-grade students' responses to a performance-assessment task in which students are engaged in exploring data. Includes an "Eating Patterns" task. (MKR)

This article presents playful activities for fostering students' conceptual understanding of angle--a root concept in mathematics--that revolve around the Mathematical Merry-Go-Round game. The authors focus on activities for two reasons. On one hand, NCTM's Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (2000) stresses the central role of student…

In this article, the authors analyze the alignment between a released fourth-grade task from the 1996 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and benchmarks and standards, and discuss whether the task elicits student thinking that matches the quality of the learning goals.

This investigation involves first assessing and then designing instruction to resolve student difficulties with addition facts. The ultimate goal was improving students' computational fluency.

Presents two vignettes of mathematics lessons and describes fourth-grade students' discussions of fractions, percents, decimals, time, and money while investigating the various interpretations of the word "quarter." (ASK)