Two of the most important concepts children develop progressively throughout their mathematics education years are additivity and multiplicativity. Additivity is associated with situations that involve adding, joining, affixing, subtracting, separating and removing. Multiplicativity is associated with situations that involve duplicating, shrinking, stressing, sharing equally, multiplying, dividing, and exponentiating. This book presents multiplicativity in terms of a multiplicative conceptual field (MCF), not as individual concepts. It is presented in terms of interrelations and dependencies within, between, and among multiplicative concepts. The authors share the view that research on the mathematical, cognitive, and instructional aspects of multiplicative concepts must be situated in an MCF framework.

Two of the most important concepts children develop progressively throughout their mathematics education years are additivity and multiplicativity. Additivity is associated with situations that involve adding, joining, affixing, subtracting, separating and removing. Multiplicativity is associated with situations that involve duplicating, shrinking, stressing, sharing equally, multiplying, dividing, and exponentiating. This book presents multiplicativity in terms of a multiplicative conceptual field (MCF), not as individual concepts. It is presented in terms of interrelations and dependencies within, between, and among multiplicative concepts. The authors share the view that research on the mathematical, cognitive, and instructional aspects of multiplicative concepts must be situated in an MCF framework.

First Published in 1995. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

"A series for teaching mathematics."--P. [1] of cover.

Are you having trouble in finding Tier II intervention materials for elementary students who are struggling in math? Are you hungry for effective instructional strategies that will address students’ conceptual gap in additive and multiplicative math problem solving? Are you searching for a powerful and generalizable problem solving approach that will help those who are left behind in meeting the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM)? If so, this book is the answer for you. • The conceptual model-based problem solving (COMPS) program emphasizes mathematical modeling and algebraic representation of mathematical relations in equations, which are in line with the new Common Core. • “Through building most fundamental concepts pertinent to additive and multiplicative reasoning and making the connection between concrete and abstract modeling, students were prepared to go above and beyond concrete level of operation and be able to use mathematical models to solve more complex real-world problems. As the connection is made between the concrete model (or students’ existing knowledge scheme) and the symbolic mathematical algorithm, the abstract mathematical models are no longer “alien” to the students.” As Ms. Karen Combs, Director of Elementary Education of Lafayette School Corporation in Indiana, testified: “It really worked with our kids!” • “One hallmark of mathematical understanding is the ability to justify,... why a particular mathematical statement is true or where a mathematical rule comes from” (http://illustrativemathematics.org/standards). Through making connections between mathematical ideas, the COMPS program makes explicit the reasoning behind math, which has the potential to promote a powerful transfer of knowledge by applying the learned conception to solve other problems in new contexts. • Dr. Yan Ping Xin’s book contains essential tools for teachers to help students with learning disabilities or difficulties close the gap in mathematics word problem solving. I have witnessed many struggling students use these strategies to solve word problems and gain confidence as learners of mathematics. This book is a valuable resource for general and special education teachers of mathematics. - Casey Hord, PhD, University of Cincinnati

This book provides middle school teachers with a firm pedagogical foundation based on the manner in which students learn the mathematics being taught.

A Focus on Multiplication and Division is a groundbreaking effort to make mathematics education research readily accessible and understandable to pre- and in-service K–6 mathematics educators. Revealing students’ thought processes with extensive annotated samples of student work and vignettes characteristic of teachers’ experiences, this book is sure to equip educators with the knowledge and tools needed to modify their lessons and to improve student learning of multiplication and division. Special Features: Looking Back Questions at the end of each chapter allow teachers to analyze student thinking and to consider instructional strategies for their own students. Instructional Links help teachers relate concepts from each chapter to their own instructional materials and programs. Big Ideas frame the chapters and provide a platform for meaningful exploration of the teaching of multiplication and division. Answer Key posted online offers extensive explanations of in-chapter questions. Each chapter includes sections on the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and integrates the Ongoing Assessment Project (OGAP) Multiplicative Reasoning Progression for formative assessment purposes. Centered on the question of how students develop their understanding of mathematical concepts, this innovative book places math teachers in the mode of ongoing action researchers.

This innovative text offers a unique approach to making mathematics education research on addition, subtraction, and number concepts readily accessible and understandable to pre-service and in-service teachers of grades K–3. Revealing students’ thought processes with extensive annotated samples of student work and vignettes characteristic of teachers’ experiences, this book provides educators with the knowledge and tools needed to modify their lessons and improve student learning of additive reasoning in the primary grades. Based on research gathered in the Ongoing Assessment Project (OGAP), this engaging, easy-to-use resource features practical resources such as: A close focus on student work, including 150+ annotated pieces of student work, to help teachers improve their ability to recognize, assess, and monitor their students’ errors and misconceptions, as well as their developing conceptual understanding; A focus on the OGAP Addition, Subtraction, and Base Ten Number Progressions, based on research conducted with hundreds of teachers and thousands of pieces of student work; In-chapter sections on how Common Core State Standards for Math (CCSSM) are supported by math education research; End-of-chapter questions to allow teachers to analyze student thinking and consider instructional strategies for their own students; Instructional links to help teachers relate concepts from each chapter to their own instructional materials and programs; An accompanying eResource, available online, offers an answer key to Looking Back questions, as well as a copy of the OGAP Additive Framework and the OGAP Number Line Continuum. A Focus on Addition and Subtraction marks the fourth installment of the popular A Focus on... collection, designed to aid the professional development of pre-service and in-service mathematics teachers. Following from previous volumes on ratios and proportions, multiplication and division, and fractions, this newest addition is designed to bridge the gap between what math education researchers know and what teachers need to know in order to better understand evidence in student work and make effective instructional decisions.