Algebra In The Early Grades

This volume is the first to offer a comprehensive, research-based, multi-faceted look at issues in early algebra. In recent years, the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics has recommended that algebra become a strand flowing throughout the K-12 curriculum, and the 2003 RAND Mathematics Study Panel has recommended that algebra be “the initial topical choice for focused and coordinated research and development [in K-12 mathematics].” This book provides a rationale for a stronger and more sustained approach to algebra in school, as well as concrete examples of how algebraic reasoning may be developed in the early grades. It is organized around three themes: The Nature of Early Algebra Students’ Capacity for Algebraic Thinking Issues of Implementation: Taking Early Algebra to the Classrooms. The contributors to this landmark volume have been at the forefront of an effort to integrate algebra into the existing early grades mathematics curriculum. They include scholars who have been developing the conceptual foundations for such changes as well as researchers and developers who have led empirical investigations in school settings. Algebra in the Early Grades aims to bridge the worlds of research, practice, design, and theory for educators, researchers, students, policy makers, and curriculum developers in mathematics education.

This volume is the first to offer a comprehensive, research-based, multi-faceted look at issues in early algebra. In recent years, the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics has recommended that algebra become a strand flowing throughout the K-12 curriculum, and the 2003 RAND Mathematics Study Panel has recommended that algebra be “the initial topical choice for focused and coordinated research and development [in K-12 mathematics].” This book provides a rationale for a stronger and more sustained approach to algebra in school, as well as concrete examples of how algebraic reasoning may be developed in the early grades. It is organized around three themes: The Nature of Early Algebra Students’ Capacity for Algebraic Thinking Issues of Implementation: Taking Early Algebra to the Classrooms. The contributors to this landmark volume have been at the forefront of an effort to integrate algebra into the existing early grades mathematics curriculum. They include scholars who have been developing the conceptual foundations for such changes as well as researchers and developers who have led empirical investigations in school settings. Algebra in the Early Grades aims to bridge the worlds of research, practice, design, and theory for educators, researchers, students, policy makers, and curriculum developers in mathematics education.

"To truly engage in mathematics is to become curious and intrigued about regularities and patterns, then describe and explain them. A focus on the behavior of the operations allows students starting in the familiar territory of number and computation to progress to true engagement in the discipline of mathematics." -Susan Jo Russell, Deborah Schifter, and Virginia Bastable Algebra readiness: it's a topic of concern that seems to pervade every school district. How can we better prepare elementary students for algebra? More importantly, how can we help all children, not just those who excel in math, become ready for later instruction? The answer lies not in additional content, but in developing a way of thinking about the mathematics that underlies both arithmetic and algebra. Connecting Arithmetic to Algebra invites readers to learn about a crucial component of algebraic thinking: investigating the behavior of the operations. Nationally-known math educators Susan Jo Russell, Deborah Schifter, and Virginia Bastable and a group of collaborating teachers describe how elementary teachers can shape their instruction so that students learn to: *notice and describe consistencies across problems *articulate generalizations about the behavior of the operations *develop mathematical arguments based on representations to explain why such generalizations are or are not true. Through such work, students become familiar with properties and general rules that underlie computational strategies-including those that form the basis of strategies used in algebra-strengthening their understanding of grade-level content and at the same time preparing them for future studies. Each chapter is illustrated by lively episodes drawn from the classrooms of collaborating teachers in a wide range of settings. These provide examples of posing problems, engaging students in productive discussion, using representations to develop mathematical arguments, and supporting both students with a wide range of learning profiles. Staff Developers: Available online, the Course Facilitator's Guide provides math leaders with tools and resources for implementing a Connecting Arithmetic to Algebra workshop or preservice course. For information on the PD course offered through Mount Holyoke College, download the flyer.

This survey of the state of the art on research in early algebra traces the evolution of a relatively new field of research and teaching practice. With its focus on the younger student, aged from about 6 years up to 12 years, this volume reveals the nature of the research that has been carried out in early algebra and how it has shaped the growth of the field. The survey, in presenting examples drawn from the steadily growing research base, highlights both the nature of algebraic thinking and the ways in which this thinking is being developed in the primary and early middle school student. Mathematical relations, patterns, and arithmetical structures lie at the heart of early algebraic activity, with processes such as noticing, conjecturing, generalizing, representing, justifying, and communicating being central to students’ engagement.

This book highlights new developments in the teaching and learning of algebraic thinking with 5- to 12-year-olds. Based on empirical findings gathered in several countries on five continents, it provides a wealth of best practices for teaching early algebra. Building on the work of the ICME-13 (International Congress on Mathematical Education) Topic Study Group 10 on Early Algebra, well-known authors such as Luis Radford, John Mason, Maria Blanton, Deborah Schifter, and Max Stephens, as well as younger scholars from Asia, Europe, South Africa, the Americas, Australia and New Zealand, present novel theoretical perspectives and their latest findings. The book is divided into three parts that focus on (i) epistemological/mathematical aspects of algebraic thinking, (ii) learning, and (iii) teaching and teacher development. Some of the main threads running through the book are the various ways in which structures can express themselves in children’s developing algebraic thinking, the roles of generalization and natural language, and the emergence of symbolism. Presenting vital new data from international contexts, the book provides additional support for the position that essential ways of thinking algebraically need to be intentionally fostered in instruction from the earliest grades.

Drawing on rich classroom observations of educators teaching in China and the U.S., this book details an innovative and effective approach to teaching algebra at the elementary level, namely, "teaching through example-based problem solving" (TEPS). Recognizing young children's particular cognitive and developmental capabilities, this book powerfully argues for the importance of infusing algebraic thinking into early grade mathematics teaching and illustrates how this has been achieved by teachers in U.S. and Chinese contexts. Documenting best practice and students' responses to example-based instruction, the text demonstrates that this TEPS approach - which involves the use of worked examples, representations, and deep questions - helps students learn and master fundamental mathematical ideas, making it highly effective in developing algebraic readiness and mathematical understanding. This text will benefit post-graduate students, researchers, and academics in the fields of mathematics, STEM, and elementary education, as well as algebra research more broadly. Those interested in teacher education, classroom practice, and developmental and cognitive psychology will also find this volume of interest.

In this volume, the authors address the development of students’ algebraic thinking in the elementary and middle school grades from curricular, cognitive, and instructional perspectives. The volume is also international in nature, thus promoting a global dialogue on the topic of early Algebraization.

The subject of algebra has always been important in American secondary mathematics education. However, algebra at the elementary level has been garnering increasing attention and importance over the past 15 years. There is consequently a dire need for ideas, suggestions and models for how best to achieve pre-algebraic instruction in the elementary grades. Planting the Seeds of Algebra will empower teachers with theoretical and practical knowledge about both the content and pedagogy of such instruction, and show them the different faces of algebra as it appears in the early grades. The book will walk teachers of young children through many examples of K-6 math lessons and unpack, step by step, the hidden connections to higher algebra. After reading this book, teachers will be better equipped ...