Teaching Mathematics in Elementary and Middle School: Developing Mathematical Thinking

Teaching Mathematics in Elementary and Middle School: Developing Mathematical Thinking

With an emphasis on inquiry and process, Teaching Mathematics in Elementary and Middle School embraces active mathematics instruction and the development of mathematical thinking through problem solving. The text challenges future teachers to prepare their K-8 students for a world that requires a higher level of mathematical literacy so they can compete in a global society. Teachers will develop their own mathematical abilities, allowing them to help students discover a rich combination of thinking processes and problem-solving strategies, raising the learning expectations for all. “...I feel that this text is indeed excellent. It does a very comprehensive job of blending theory and practice, and continually links its discussions to the classroom. It is indeed one of the better (if not the best) text that I have seen for this particular set of students. As a contrast to many texts on the market, it has some unique strengths in its conversational style and interactive approach, as well as its use of manipulatives and ‘real-world’ activities. It also deals with topics in a very practical and interesting manner.” Dr. Neal Grandgenett University of Nebraska at Omaha “This text combines multiple classroom examples with excellent explanations of development of student understanding of mathematics concepts.” Dr. Walter Ryan Indiana University SouthEast “This text gives very specific learning struggles that are not addressed in general math texts. The examples paint real children with real struggles that are diagnosed with very clear and easy to understand how to resolve these struggles. I found the Tables at the end of each chapter very helpful in showing how to assist students in their struggles with specific concepts.” Dr. Yolanda De La Cruz Arizona State University “I like a text book which integrates the theoretical and practical. The author truly does this with his/her numerous examples and lesson profiles. The lesson discussions truly added to the flavor of the text and enabled the author to make strong process points and support them with everyday examples of teaching to those processes. This section of the text is very strong and unique.” Dr. John Hinton Hofstra University “The author's assertions are backed by sound research and presented in very reader-friendly formats. The classroom scenarios capture wonderful images of real classroom situations. The opportunities for reflection will help make the text and the course much richer for students.” Dr. William O. Lacefield, III Mercer University With an emphasis on inquiry and process, Teaching Mathematics in Elementary and Middle School embraces active mathematics instruction and the development of mathematical thinking through problem solving. The text challenges future teachers to prepare their K-8 students for a world that requires a higher level of mathematical literacy and enables them to compete in a global society.Teachers will develop their own mathematical abilities, allowing them to help students discover a rich combination of thinking processes and problem-solving strategies, raising the learning expectations for all. Unique text features TIE–Thought, Investigation and Exploration features ask pre-service teachers to develop their own thinking and learning abilities, preparing them to better challenge their students. - Mathematics in the Real World , Idea Files , and Teacher Profiles model best practices and supply readers with concrete teaching tools and strategies. - Mathematical Thinking , Mathematical Games and Mathematics and Technology features detail activities to engage and develop students’ mathematical thinking. Accompanying student artifacts illustrate the progression of students’ conceptual understanding. - [CD logo replaces bullet] Math Activities CD-ROM provides an outstanding text component containing more than 100 activities that use a three-step process–explore, invent, discover–to foster the development of mathematical thinking through guided inquiry. Aligned with the NCTM standards, each activity is integrated within the text and designed to help develop students’ conceptual understanding of mathematics. - Mathematics in Literature offers thoroughly developed ideas for using children’s literature to create meaningful contexts for mathematics learning. An extensive bibliography that can be used for this purpose appears on the CD-Rom. “I think the text is an excellent resource for elementary and middle school methods courses. In particular, I like how the textbook handles the ‘bigger issues’ such as geometric reasoning rather than just ‘geometry.’ I also like the excellent foundation in educational research that the textbook provides, as well as some very careful attention and consistent referencing to the NCTM standards and principles. The incorporation of classroom vignettes, teacher illustrations, and samples of student work also all add to the excellent grounding of the text in real world cl