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Book details
  • Genre:MATHEMATICS
  • SubGenre:Algebra / Intermediate
  • Language:English
  • Pages:312
  • eBook ISBN:9781483572123

Developing Mathematical Fluency

by Grayson H. Wheatley and George E Abshire

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Overview

Mathematical fluency involves being able to reason mathematically and compute accurately, efficiently and flexibly (NCTM, 2000). The meaningful and engaging activities in this book have been carefully designed and tested in classrooms. Emphasis is placed on problem solving, fractions, decimals, percent and algebraic thinking. Fundamental to the implementation of this mathematics program is the Problem Centered Learning instructional strategy, in which students work in groups and explain their reasoning to other students. This book is also appropriate for home schooling, tutors, and interested parents. The book now ships with a CD containing digital files of the student pages. These files will be especially useful for teachers using smartboards. Furthmore, it will make copying pages for student use much easier. If you have already purchased the book and want the digital file, it can be purchased separately.  

Only available in ePub for iBooks.

Description
While many persons see education as the process of acquiring knowledge that involves memorizing facts and procedures, mathematics is not just a set of rules. An alternative way of thinking about mathematics is as the activity of constructing patterns and relationships. In this view, mathematics is something people do. Knowledge is not acquired but constructed by the individual as he or she solves problems. In today’s fast changing society with numerous new challenges, it is important that students give meaning to their mathematical activity and be able to solve problems not seen previously. Mathematics is reasoning, not just memorization. While it is useful to know certain facts and procedures, it is essential that these facts and procedures develop with understanding. For example, a student who thinks in tens can see immediately that 34 + 16 is 50 without going through some arbitrary set of steps by making marks on paper. Mathematics is more like learning to find your way around a park with many trails. With experience that involves exploration, a person can build a mental map of the park and move through the park without getting lost. In the same way children can build networks of schemes that allow them to cope with novelty and solve problems they have not previously considered. Just memorizing facts and procedures can actually be debilitating since it bypasses the important activity of building inter-connected mathematical ideas.
About the author
*Fixed Layout eBook. Will only include a file for Apple devices.