This arithmetic textbook aims to teach the reading of figures so as to train the mind to instantly catch the idea that any combination of figures is intended to express. This is to be done by "the simple process of reading;" and the method consists: (1) in teaching the alphabet; and (2) in teaching the combinations of the alphabet, which…

This textbook's goal is to train and develop the mind by means of the science of numbers. This work is designed both for primary and advanced classes. The first part is adapted to beginners, while the latter part is peculiarly fitted to give to the more advanced student that thorough mental drilling in the analysis of numbers, which furnishes the…

Two experiments investigated extent to which English- and German-speaking childrens' mental arithmetic was constrained by working memory. Found higher mental addition spans when numbers were visible throughout calculation than when not. Variation in addition span with age and arithmetical operation difficulty approximated to a linear function of…

This study provides an in-depth analysis of children's use of a taught mental calculation strategy. Three children (aged eight to nine years) who demonstrated contrasting spontaneous calculation approaches, were interviewed following the direct instruction of a calculation strategy. Their responses are explored in relation to constructivist and…

Suggests that strategy choice is a misleading characterization of efficient mental calculation and that teaching mental calculation methods as a whole is not conducive to flexibility. Proposes an alternative in which calculation is thought of as an interaction between noticing and knowledge. Presents an associated teaching approach to promote…

Reacts to an article published in a previous issue of this journal on the effects of graphing calculators and computer algebra systems (CAS) on students' manual calculation and algebraic manipulation skills. Considers the contribution made by Jean-Baptiste Lagrange to thinking about the role of CAS in teaching algebra. (ASK)

This textbook's goal is to train and develop the mind by means of the science of numbers. This work is designed both for primary and advanced classes. The first part is adapted to beginners, while the latter part is peculiarly fitted to give to the more advanced student that thorough mental drilling in the analysis of numbers, which furnishes the…

This textbook's goal is to train and develop the mind by means of the science of numbers. Numbers are the instruments here employed to strengthen the memory, to cultivate the faculty of abstraction, and to sharpen and develop the reasoning powers.

Describes how students can compute and estimate, mentally and rapidly, by using appropriate number relationships. (YDS)

The aim of this study was to ascertain the nature of the interaction between the affective value of musical distraction, personality type and performance on the cognitive tasks of reading comprehension, free recall, mental arithmetic and verbal reasoning in children aged 11-12 years. It was hypothesized that the cognitive performance of extraverts…

Age-related changes in children's performance on simple division problems (e.g., 6 divided by 2, 72 divided by 9) were investigated by asking children in Grades 4 through 7 to solve 32 simple division problems. Differences in performance were found across grade, with younger children performing more slowly and less accurately than older children.…

This paper presents research conducted as part of the field test of the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project's (UCSMP) curriculum, Fifth Grade Everyday Mathematics. The UCSMP curriculum is one of the current reform programs funded by the National Science Foundation to implement the Standards of the National Council of Teachers of…

Presents a historical overview and summary of research conducted on simple arithmetic in the past 20 years. Presents two seemingly different directions in current research, one on the role of working memory in mental arithmetic and one on the possible cognitive consequences of mathematics anxiety. Contains 108 references. (MKR)

Presents a study in which participants were trained on nine single-digit multiplication problems over three sessions. Transfer of practice was tested with nine different multiplication problems in the fourth session for half the participants. Interprets problem-size, transfer, and retention effects within a network-interference model of mental…

Describes the success, the methods (mental, informal written, standard algorithm) and the strategies of informal written arithmetic to be observed when 300 elementary students worked on six addition and six subtraction problems with three-digit numbers. (Author/MM)