The Teaching of Mathematics to Children: Theories and Techniques

Abstract

This paper is a small part of my Senior Independent Project. Most of the quarter was spent 1n graduate seminars of the Master of Science in Teaching program 1n Elementary Education at the University of Chicago and in observing classes, both in the University's Elementary Laboratory School and in neighboring public schools. The topic for the paper evolved from my interests in mathematics and psychology, from my observations of arithmetic sessions in classes in k1ndergarten through the fifth grade, and from a seminar on teaching mathematics. As a visitor, and therefore, somewhat of a distract1on, I was not able to spend very much time in any one classroom. As a result, I do not feel qual1fied to make judgments from my observations and have based this paper primar1ly on secondary research.