Discusses Hugh Mehan's "Learning Lessons" in the development of the naturalistic study of classroom discourse studies and considers the emergence of an alternative program for classroom discourse studies in critical discourse analysis. Critiques some studies of classroom discourse and analyzes a fourth-grade lesson on fractions to show how the…

The organization of the most effective seatwork for fifth grade mathematics instruction was characterized by: (1) sufficient preparation; (2) efficient management; and (3) high intensity of active supervision that corrected and supported students in a discrete manner. (JD)

A teacher of deaf fifth graders recounts the use of math logs to help students to write about their math experiences and thus generate, comprehend, and express mathematical ideas and knowledge. The process also helped the teacher pinpoint math problem areas and assess and monitor students' understanding of math concepts. (DB)

Classroom practices believed to affect student motivation were assessed for 24 upper elementary school teachers during a unit on fractions. Reform-minded teachers emphasized effort, mastery, and understanding more, and those who had received training in motivation made more accurate judgments of students' motivation. (SLD)

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) standards recommend interactive classroom discourse, including student questions and initiatives, rather than teacher-centered recitation structures, such as the traditional initiation-reply-evaluation sequence (IRE). This study explores how student questions and initiatives arise during a…

Four teacher-originated student activities are featured. A mental health unit incorporates a panel of student "experts" who answer anonymous queries. Tax returns and rockets enhance mathematics units, and students learn to manage their own behavior with the "I Can Manage My Behavior" card. (IAH)

Concludes that teachers at the middle school level need to be better prepared in classroom management. Shows that, if preservice middle school math teachers were given specific training for managing classes at that level, their mathematics knowledge would be more fully and effectively communicated to their students. (SR)

Algebra is no longer just for college-bound students. After a widespread push by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and teachers across the country, algebra is now a required part of most curricula. However, students' standardized test scores are not at the level they should be. NCTM's seventieth yearbook takes a look at the…

The guide provides teachers of limited-English-proficient students in grades 4-6 with a communicative teaching unit integrating language, math, and computer skills. A model for integrating other content areas with English as a second language contains nine classroom activities, beginning with games that introduce and reinforce math vocabulary and…

Small group instruction was assessed in a naturalistic study involving 206 observations of mathematics periods in 33 classrooms of grades 4, 5, and 6 in 21 schools. Six types of group instruction were identified, and teachers' use of such groups was explored. (SLD)

Presents the elementary-level formative evaluation method of functional diagnosis that gives students immediate feedback on completed assignments. Gives three examples of the method as observed in the classrooms of master teachers: putting red dots next to problems needing attention; paired learning, and student answer keys. (MDH)

Recent reforms in mathematics education suggest that classroom teachers ought to shift away from the traditional concentration on arithmetical computation and adopt goals of mathematical confidence, problem solving, communication, reasoning, and appreciation. To understand how students are thinking in a given situation, teachers need to make their…

A study examined and explored the importance of language in successful math problem-solving. The participants of the study were 24 fourth-grade students in a public elementary school in an urban area. Students were instructed in solving math word problems with a variety of strategies ranging from task specific, procedural methods to…

The relationship between a teacher's knowledge of mathematics and instructional practice was investigated by videotaping an experienced fifth grade teacher giving a lesson on functions and graphing. A subject-matter knowledge interview and card sort task were used with the teacher and a mathematics educator, indicating areas of weakness. (SLD)

This study investigated the effectiveness of a schema strategy on the addition and subtraction word problem solving performance of four sixth and seventh grade students with learning disabilities. Students were taught to map features of the word problem onto problem schemata diagrams, first for one-step problems and then for two-step problems. A…