Mathematics for Primary Teachers

Many children today still do not learn the truth about mathematics. Teachers' understanding of mathematics is the number one suspect. This book aims to solve the problem by providing teachers an explanation of mathematical concepts combined with usable ways of teaching. This methods text uses three sections to accomplish this.Paul Ernest in Section A sets a foundation of what is good math teaching practice. He answers questions about the importance that mathematics plays and defines its properties. Ernest makes the point that math teaching has been monopolized by the musty theory that it is basically a mastery of facts, skills, and concepts. Instead, he maintains that this has limited the possibilities. Even primary students can catch the curiosity and imagination it takes to begin to understand concepts such as infinity. Then Ernest takes us to the understanding of the British National Curriculum and describes its structure. Readers often will notice references to the British school system. Baby Boomer mathematics teachers will remember some of the teaching fads he describes that occurred from the 1950s to the present. Math certainly has come a long way. Research has enlightened us on how children learn math. Examples of this are how math can be taught in relation to other subjects. It no longer needs to be separated from language arts instruction, and mathematics learning is indeed richer when combined with other subjects.Ron Casey and Valsa Koshy strive in Section B to enhance teachers' subject knowledge. Each chapter in this section starts with a list of topics. Examples follow. They provide a great reading comprehension strategy, which can be applied to all subjects. An example of this is their instruction for teachers to write down what they know about the topic before reading a particular section. This would include indicating areas for which they feel anxious. Evidently Casey and Koshy tried these strategies in a pilot program and found them to be very useful. At the end of each chapter (2 through 7) teachers will find tasks to spark their thinking on teaching and activities that they may try in the classroom. Chapter 8 contains two tests that provide opportunities for teachers to measure their own knowledge.Section C provides five chapters that are written by mathematics educators from four British institutions. They share their research and experiences where math teaching has been effective.The emphasis is definitely British; the authors are all from Great Britain. However, there are chapter references to materials published in the United States as well as Great Britain. The mathematical concerns stated certainly are international in scope: whole numbers, fractions, and probability to name only a few. The United States National Standards on mathematics located at the EducationWorld site (http://www.educationworld.com/standards/national/math/k_4)shows this to be true.Paul Ernest is Professor in Mathematics Education at Exeter University. Bowker's Books In Print shows that in addition to this title, he has published: The Pragmatics of Mathematics Education: Vagueness in Mathematical Discourse (1999), Social Constructivism as a Philosophy of Mathematics (1997), Constructing Mathematical Knowledge (1996), Constructing Mathematical Knowledge: Epistemology & Mathematics Education (1994), Mathematics, Education & Philosophy: An International Perspective (1994), The Philosophy of Mathematics Education (1991), and Mathematics Teaching: The State of the Art (1989).Valsa Koshy is the Senior Lecturer in Education at Brunel University with responsibility for mathematics in-service courses. Ron Casey is a Senior Research Fellow at Brunel University. This book is recommended for methods students and beginning teachers to heighten their math awareness and their teaching proficiency.Reviewer: Celia Althage, Reference Librarian, Northeastern Illinois University Ronald Williams Library, j-althage@neiu.edu Copyright 2001 E-Streams Reviews