The author describes some of the instructional programs currently available on educational television. She gives special attention to the series "ThinkAbout" for grades five and six, which emphasizes using skills in reasoning, studying, language arts, and math to solve everyday problems. (SJL)

The effect of instruction in addition and subtraction concepts and skills on the processes first-grade pupils use to solve verbal problems was studied. Children represented solutions in individual interviews. Results indicated pupils shifted from a concrete direct modeling approach to a more unified conception that incorporated symbolic…

Decision making should be viewed as a deliberate process that can be taught as a basic classroom skill. Common myths and problems surrounding decision making are discussed. The purpose of initiating decision making opportunities is to promote creativity, not conformity. Five suggested steps for the process are: (1) explore the many alternatives…

Teachers must return to basics and recognize that their role may not be to supply answers, but rather to present questions, situations, or problems to be solved and to stimulate students to investigate issues. This should be achieved within the framework of individualized learning with the student actively participating. (JMF)

A restaurant menu is used to apply mathematics to real situations. A variety of mathematical problems, as well as applications to other content areas, is suggested. (JT)

A new series of instructional television programs designed for fifth and sixth grades, will reinforce basic skills while helping students learn to solve real-world problems. (Author/MLF)

A report is presented of a year-long period of furnishing information to elementary schools on research findings and products related to the improvement of basic skills. Particular empirical findings are not analyzed; rather, an integrated impression of the success or failure of research utilization by schools is conveyed. The outcomes of research…

The purpose of this study was to relate children's cognitive processing capabilities and their grade level to their performance and to the strategies they used when working addition and subtraction problems. From two sets of data which assessed memory capacity and cognitive processing capacities, six groups of children with different cognitive…

This article presents results of a meta-analysis of 58 studies of mathematics intervention for elementary students with special needs. Studies in preparatory mathematics, basic skills, and problem solving were reviewed. Duration and method of instruction proved important. Direct instruction and self-instruction were more effective than mediated…

In order to (1) determine the cross-situational generalizability of self-monitoring behavior and (2) explore the correlation of self-monitoring behavior with other cognitive skills and achievements, 96 fifth-grade children were given three tasks assumed to measure the ability to self-monitor knowledge state during learning. During the first of two…

The easy availability and popularity of newspapers enhance their use in the classroom. The material presented is grouped under: (1) "Comparative Shopping and Estimation Activities"; (2) "Buying and Furnishing Houses"; and (3) "Graphing, Probability, and Statistics." Teachers are encouraged to consider such applications in involving pupils in…

This booklet consists of 11 bulletins designed to answer questions which teachers frequently ask about the learning and teaching of mathematics. (The bulletins are revisions of a set originally published in 1970.) Each bulletin is organized around a central topic, and presents questions related to that topic, summaries of research findings…

The study investigated children's ability to write number sentences for simple addition and subtraction word problems. The results suggest that open number sentences may provide mathematical symbolism that allows young children to build on informal strategies for presenting and solving simple word problems. (Author/PK)

The author suggests that, through using the outlined question model and suggested classroom activities, elementary students will improve their abilities to analyze routine, one-step word problems and make a plan for the solution. It is further argued that the same algorithm can be applied to multistep problems by using specified questions. (PK)

Advocates elementary math instruction that uses realistic problems or examples and that teaches children to think. Suggests methods for accomplishing these objectives, including the use of mathematical games. (SJL)