Learning Mathematics
Children have to make a fantastic amount of conceptual progress in mathematics in primary school. Beyond learning the simplest things about number, such as learning to count, which comes easily to them, they also must conquer many logico-mathematical ideas that are much more difficult. For example, they need to realise that addition and subtraction are inverse operations and that any number can be composed by the sum of two other numbers. These insights are crucially involved in learning how write and read numbers using place value and how to carry out arithmetic operations.
Children also must discover in primary school that whole numbers – those you get from counting – not sufficient to quantity everything: they also need to learn how to use rational numbers (fractions) to represent quantities that involve relations. For example, to speak about the concentration of orange juice, you need to think of the relation between the amount of orange and the amount of water. To talk about speed, you need to think of the relation between miles and time – we usually speak about speed as miles per hour.
Children who succeed in grasping the ideas behind rational numbers are well on their way to being able to use mathematics in a great variety of contexts in everyday life and in the work place. Our research explores why the logic of numbers – whole numbers and rational numbers – can sometimes elude children and the ways in which children can be helped to master these ideas.
Speakers handouts: mathematics presentations
‘Diferentes significados de fração e suas influência sobre o ensino e a aprendizagem’ Terezinha Nunes, Peter Bryant & Ursula Pretzlik
‘Children’s insights and strategies in solving fractions problems’ Terezinha Nunes, Peter Bryant & Ursula Pretzlik
‘Children’s reasoning and mathematical achievement’ Terezinha Nunes, Peter Bryant & Jane Hurry
‘Children’s understanding of quantities’ Terezinha Nunes
‘The role of schemes and working memory in primary school children’s mathematics difficulties’ Terezinha Nunes, Peter Bryant & Ursula Pretzlik
‘Understanding and promoting children’s success in mathematics’ Terezinha Nunes
‘Street mathematics, school mathematics’ Terezinha Nunes
‘Children’s logic and learning’ Terezinha Nunes
'Perspectivas y estrategias de los ninõs al resolver problemas con fraccionarios' Terezinha Nunes & Peter Bryant
'Children’s reasoning and mathematical achievement' Terezinha Nunes
The links above point to PDF files and open in new windows. To view you need Adobe Reader, which can be downloaded free of charge by click here.