University mathematics education courses do not always provide the opportunity to make connections between advanced topics and the mathematics taught in middle school or high school. Activities like the ones described in this article invite such connections. Analyzing concrete or particular examples provides a better grasp of abstract concepts.…

It is noted that too many students who go to college today are poorly prepared for college mathematics. It is believed that any student who goes to college without a minimum of two years of algebra and one of geometry will be at a serious, possibly insurmountable, disadvantage. (MP)

Research over the past few decades points to ways precalculus and calculus courses can be strengthened to improve student learning in these courses. This research has informed the development of the Algebra and Precalculus Concept Readiness (APCR) and the Calculus Concept Readiness (CCR) assessments. In this article, the authors present three…