Kyle, a kindergartner from a low-income family, is shown a set of three black dots on a white mat. His teacher then hides the dots with a small box lid and lays down an additional set of two dots. She pushes the two dots under the cover, one at a time. Kyle must now choose the number of dots "hiding" under the box from a set of four…

Mathematics professor Julie Cwikla decided that she needed to investigate young children's understandings and see what precurricular partitioning notions young minds bring to the fraction table. Cwikla realized that only a handful of studies have examined how preschool-age and early elementary school-age students solve fraction problems…

Early elementary school students are expected to solve twelve distinct types of word problems. A math researcher and two teachers pose a structure for thinking about one problem type that has not been studied as closely as the other eleven. In this article, the authors share some of their discoveries with regard to the variety of…

In the technology-rich twenty-first century, students are required to actively construct their knowledge and collaboratively engage in problem solving by using such skills as adaptability, communication, self-management, and systematic thinking. In accordance with this necessity, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education…

Earth Day is celebrated annually on April 22. Teachers often commemorate Earth Day with their classes by planting trees, discussing important conservation topics (such as recycling or preventing pollution), and encouraging students to take care of planet Earth. To promote observance of Earth Day in an intermediate elementary school classroom, this…

Geometry is the branch of mathematics that addresses spatial sense and geometric reasoning. Students begin to understand geometry through direct interaction with their physical world. Because it is the study of the physical attributes of the environment, geometry has relevance for every student; the world becomes a big classroom. As students see,…

This article describes how in early mathematics learning, young children are often asked to recognize and describe visual patterns in their environment--perhaps on their clothing, a toy, or the carpet; around a picture frame; or in the playground equipment. Exploring patterns in the early years is seen as an important introduction to algebraic…

Math games can be powerful tools in helping students achieve automaticity in basic addition and related subtraction facts if both teachers and students use them purposefully. According to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM 2000), developing a solid mathematical foundation is essential for every child in prekindergarten through…

Elementary school teachers in Seattle, Washington, are encouraged to adapt differentiated instructional practices in math to accommodate the particular students in their own classrooms. Seattle Public Schools is a large, urban district serving 47,000 students who speak over a hundred languages. More than a third receive free or reduced lunch. The…

Young students, new to formal mathematics, come to school with various number experiences. To meet their needs, teachers must understand each student's thinking and tailor instruction appropriately. Differentiation is a vehicle for making this possible. According to Tomlinson (2001), differentiated instruction is student-centered; rooted in…

Parents as Literacy Supporters (PALS) is an interactive, culturally responsive, family literacy program that brings parents of kindergartners into the classroom as partners in their children's education. Co-developed by Jim Anderson of the University of British Columbia and Fiona Morrison, Director of Family Literacy and Early Learning at 2010…

Rather than feeling overwhelmed at the thought of integrating the new Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSI 2010) into their teaching practice, teachers might view this as an opportunity to deeply embed mathematics into the K-grade 2 curriculum in the same way that literacy has long been rooted into early learning environments.…

Starting a math club as early as kindergarten and having a range of grade levels in attendance can be successful. With the help of the older students, the varied age groups are entertained and excited about attending math club. The purpose of the club is to enrich the classroom mathematics curriculum with hands-on activities and to have members…

Although the Curriculum Principle in "Principles and Standards for School Mathematics" states, "A school mathematics curriculum is a strong determinant of what students have an opportunity to learn and what they do learn," this article seeks to help teachers enhance tasks found in commonly used textbooks to create additional opportunities for…

The widely adopted Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) are designed to deepen instruction of number sense and will demand that elementary school teachers have a strong understanding of number. These changes arrive at a time when it is still understood that teachers and the curriculum in the United States have not been fundamentally…