Feature Story: Children’s Understanding of Math Not Always Equal

Date
2012-02-08
Authors
External Relations, University of Regina
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
External Relations, University of Regina
Abstract

One eight-year-old looks at the equation 2 + 27 - 27 and quickly sees a shortcut to solving it; his friend laboriously adds the first two numbers then subtracts the third. Older children are presented with the equation 2 x 27 ÷ 27 and the same thing happens. One child quickly sees a shortcut; the other chooses to do it step-by-step. These individual differences are fascinating to Dr. Katherine Robinson, a psychologist at Campion College, who focuses her research on the development of children's understanding of arithmetic concepts.

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Keywords
Dr. Katherine Robinson, arithmetic concepts
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