(Press-News.org) Children with learning difficulties can benefit from being encouraged to find their own way to solve arithmetic problems, according to new research from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.
A study by Dr Lio Moscardini, in Strathclyde's Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences, found that children deal better with arithmetical problems if they can use their own intuitive strategies such as using number blocks, drawings or breaking an equation up into smaller, simpler parts- rather than being instructed in arithmetical facts and procedures.
All the teachers taking part in the study underwent professional development in children's mathematical thinking before introducing these ideas into their classrooms. Nearly all felt that their pupils had benefited from learning in this way- and several said they had previously underestimated the children's ability and potential.
Dr Moscardini, a specialist in additional support needs, said: "We found that pupils with learning difficulties were able to develop an understanding of arithmetic through engaging in these activities, without explicit prior instruction.
"When teachers have an insight into children's mathematical thinking they can use this knowledge to inform their teaching. The study also supported the view that maths learning isn't just about acquiring a series of skills but is about making sense of problems and building understanding."
The children's solutions, which they had not been taught in advance, included:
Answering a question about how many children are on a bus after a group gets on by representing two sets of children with cubes, drawings or fingers and joining the sets together
Splitting up the sum 48 + 25 by adding 40 to 20, then adding eight and five separately for the total of 73
Using context and language and modifying the way a problem is phrased. In one question, a boy having 14 stickers and giving six away was changed to him giving away "six of his stickers," allowing a pupil to follow the language of the problem to make sense of it
Some children were able to help out their fellow pupils and became increasingly able to recognise similarities between certain types of problem, enabling them to apply the same solutions.
The children were found to follow the same path in understanding adding, subtraction, multiplication and division as those who did not have the same difficulties.
INFORMATION:
The research paper, I Like It Instead of Maths, has been published in the British Journal of Special Education ,Volume 37, Issue 3, pages 130-138 (DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8578.2010.00461.x)
Children find their own way to solve arithmetic problems
Research finds children deal better by using their own intuitive strategies
2010-11-09
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Brain bleeding is common with aging, UCI study finds
2010-11-09
Irvine, Calif., Nov. 8, 2010 — A small amount of bleeding in the brain seems to be common among older individuals, according to a UC Irvine study.
Neurologist Dr. Mark Fisher and neuropathologist Dr. Ronald Kim found that cerebral microbleeds are highly prevalent in the aging brain – and not primarily products of stroke-related injury, hypertension or neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, as had been thought.
"Prior work relied on brain imaging to show cerebral microbleeds," Fisher said. "But in this study, deep regions of the brain were closely examined under ...
Scientists discover how the songbird's brain controls timing during singing
2010-11-09
AUDIO:
New research that reveals the activity of nerve cells in a songbird's brain as the bird sings a specific song is helping scientists to understand how birds string together sets...
Click here for more information.
A team of scientists has observed the activity of nerve cells in a songbird's brain as it is singing a particular song. Dezhe Jin, an assistant professor in the Department of Physics at Penn State University and one of the study's authors, explained that ...
Stevens and TNO conduct joint experiments in Dutch Harbor for maritime security
2010-11-09
Hoboken, NJ – Stevens Institute of Technology and the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) have recently conducted joint experiments in the Dutch Navy Harbor of Den Helder, where passive acoustic systems from both parties were combined. Initial experimental results are presented at the Waterside Security (WSS) 2010 conference. This important experimental campaign was financed by the Netherlands Ministry of Defence.
The collaboration between Stevens and TNO was initiated in early 2010 after recognizing a strategic opportunity to form a long-term ...
TB-drugome provides new targets for anti-tuberculosis drug discovery
2010-11-09
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the University of Leeds have linked hundreds of federally approved drugs to more than 1,000 proteins in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), opening new avenues to repurpose these drugs to treat TB.
The study was published Nov. 4 in PLoS Computational Biology.
"Tuberculosis is currently one of the most widely spread infectious diseases, with an estimated one-third of the world's population infected and between one and two million people dying each year from ...
DHA improves memory and cognitive function in older adults
2010-11-09
WASHINGTON, D.C., November 8, 2010 — A study published in the November edition of Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association suggests that taking docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) may improve memory and learning in older adults with mild cognitive impairments. This is promising news for many aging Americans who are searching for options to maintain memory and support overall cognitive health.
The "Memory Improvement with Docosahexaenoic Acid Study" (MIDAS) was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the effects of DHA—the principle ...
Nanogenerators grow strong enough to power small conventional electronics
2010-11-09
VIDEO:
In the laboratory of Zhong Lin Wang at Georgia Tech, a blinking LCD signals the success of a five-year effort to power conventional electronic devices using nanoscale generators that harvest...
Click here for more information.
Blinking numbers on a liquid-crystal display (LCD) often indicate that a device's clock needs resetting. But in the laboratory of Zhong Lin Wang at Georgia Tech, the blinking number on a small LCD signals the success of a five-year effort ...
Single parenthood doesn't pay off for plants
2010-11-09
Durham, NC —Many plants can pollinate themselves and reproduce without the aid of a mate, thanks to having both male and female parts. But the short-term perks of being able to go it alone come with long-term costs, says a new study in the journal Science. The reason is because plants that can pollinate themselves are more prone to extinction, scientists say.
Flowering plants are incredibly creative when it comes to sex, said co-author Boris Igic, a biologist at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "Plants just can't walk over to potential mates like we do. Many species ...
Frequency of foot disorders differs between African-Americans and whites
2010-11-09
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Common foot disorders such as flat feet, corns and bunions are more prevalent among African Americans than in whites, a new study by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers has found.
African Americans in the study age 45 or older were three times more likely than whites of the same age to have corns or flat feet (medical name: pes planus). In people who were not obese, African Americans were twice as likely to have bunions (hallux valgus) and hammer toes than whites, said Yvonne M. Golightly, PT, PhD, lead author of the study, titled ...
Potential drug therapy for diabetic retinopathy under study
2010-11-09
One drug's startling ability to restore retinal health in the eyes of diabetic mice has researchers wanting to learn more about how it works and whether it might do the same for people.
"We want to know if this drug has the potential to block the visual devastation that can occur with diabetes," said Dr. Sylvia Smith, retinal cell biologist and co-director of the Vision Discovery Institute at the Medical College of Georgia. "That means we need to know more about how and when it is effective."
Diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness in working-age Americans, ...
Iron stimulates blooms of toxin-producing algae in open ocean, study finds
2010-11-09
SANTA CRUZ, CA--A team of marine scientists has found that toxin-producing algae once thought to be limited to coastal waters are also common in the open ocean, where the addition of iron from natural or artificial sources can stimulate rapid growth of the harmful algae. The new findings, reported this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, add to concerns about proposals to use iron fertilization of the oceans as a way to combat global warming.
Blooms of diatoms in the genus Pseudo-nitschia, which produce a neurotoxin called domoic acid, are a regular ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
EWG study: PFAS water treatment has double benefits, cutting toxic PFAS and carcinogens
MIT Press expands Direct to Open (D2O) open access model in 2026 with publishing partners
Pork protein improves recovery, mood and inflammation in military cadets following combat fitness test
Mount Sinai unveils Emergency Department transformation after extensive upgrades and renovations
Uncovering language learning strategies for Japanese university students in STEM
The invisible influence: How cultural cognitive biases influence visuomotor adaptations
New sugar-based stabilizer keeps sweat sensors working under acidic conditions
Stress & Stars: Two more ERC Starting Grants for ISTA
ERC honors Hebrew University scientists for pioneering brain and language studies
Theresa Rienmüller and Robert Winkler receive ERC Starting Grants
ERC grant helps to explore innovative approaches to improve the diagnosis of ADHD in adults
Hidden chemistry of Earth’s core revealed by how it froze
IRB Barcelona researchers uncover a new strategy to tackle obesity by activating brown fat
Biological ‘moonshot’ accelerates efforts to genetically map life on Earth
New papers reveal how gut-brain interactions shape eating behaviors
Meal timing in later life may matter for health and longevity
“Cracks in the system” driving high suicide rates for autistic people
Biodegradable PET alternative bioproduced at unprecedented levels
NTU Singapore scientists develop cooling sunscreen from pollen
Efficient ethane separation from natural gas using ZIF-8 slurry
Flying blind: aviation experts call for more pilot training amid poor general aviation safety record
Unraveling the complex relationship between trade openness and carbon emissions in Asia
Towards a new era of global agricultural ecology and environmental science
Durham University scientists pioneer new drone swarm technology
New research reveals insights into linkage between menopause and cardiovascular health
Durham University scientists map stress response system in plants
Weight-loss drug semaglutide reduces cocaine use in rats: Suggests possible first pharmacological treatment for human cocaine dependency
Are probiotics worth the cost to prevent infection after a colon removal surgery?
Mizzou at the forefront of using hydrogen energy safely
New design framework makes it easier to create custom shock-absorbing materials
[Press-News.org] Children find their own way to solve arithmetic problemsResearch finds children deal better by using their own intuitive strategies