Insights into number: Developing flexible mental mathematics

Sparrow, Len; Swan, Paul

Sparrow_Swan 2006.pdf (194.2Kb)

Access Status

Open access

Authors

Sparrow, Len

Swan, Paul

Date

2006

Type

Conference Paper

Metadata

Show full item record

Citation

Sparrow, L. and Swan, P. 2006. Insights into number: Developing flexible mental mathematics. In Proceedings of the 43rd Annual Conference of the Mathematical Association of Victoria (MAV), La Trobe University, Bundoora, Vic., 7-8 Dec 2006, pp. 137-146.

Source Title

Proceedings of the 43rd Annual Conference of the Mathematical Association of Victoria (MAV)

Source Conference

Mathematics – The Way Forward: 43rd Annual Conference of the Mathematical Association of Victoria

Additional URLs

http://www.mav.vic.edu.au/

Faculty

Humanities

School

School of Education

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/52986

Collection

Curtin Research Publications

Abstract

The ability to use flexible strategies when faced with a calculation to do ‘in the head’ is important to acquire. Many children who rely on remembered facts and standard procedures are limited in their approaches to mental computation. Teaching that develops insights, awareness, and connections appears to give this important flexibility and enable children to make sensible and effective choices of calculating strategies.