Understanding Primary Mathematics

by Hopkins,Christine

• ISBN13: 9781843120124
• ISBN10: 1843120127
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2005-07-07
• Publisher: David Fulton Pu

Summary

In this textbook, the foundations of mathematics are made explicit and the reader is guided through the background knowledge and understanding that are required for the subject, offering a well-structured overview of the important issues to be considered when learning about mathematics on a Primary QTS course, and a coherent approach to the content to be found in the standards for QTS, the National Curriculum at Key Stages 1 and 2 and the numeracy strategy. The authors aim to help teachers review and restructure the understanding of mathematics gained during their education, progressing from partial memories of a few process to an understanding of why the skills they were taught make sense and how they fit into a coherent mathematics curriculum, arguing that to teach mathematics effectively it is not enough to be able to do the mathematics, you need to understand why you do what you do. Aimed at all teachers of primary mathematics, this book is also likely to be valuable to secondary teachers, parents,administrators and others interested in the foundations of school mathematics.

Author Biography

Christine Hopkins is Principal Lecturer at the University of Surrey Roehampton.

Table of Contents

Preface	vii
Introduction	viii
The Number System and Number Operations	1	(86)
Historical and social context	1	(4)
Developing the number system	5	(6)
Calculating with natural numbers	11	(22)
Calculating with fractions, decimals and percentages	33	(28)
Calculating with negative numbers	61	(6)
Ratio and proportion	67	(6)
Indices	73	(6)
Implications for teaching	79	(2)
Self-assessment questions	81	(6)
Properties of Numbers, Number Sequences, Algebra	87	(34)
Historical and social context	87	(3)
Algebraic notation	90	(5)
Numbers and number sequences	95	(13)
Functions and graphs	108	(6)
Equations	114	(3)
Implications for teaching	117	(2)
Self-assessment questions	119	(2)
Handling Data	121	(36)
Historical and social context	121	(3)
Processing, representing and making sense of data	124	(22)
Probability	146	(6)
Implications for teaching	152	(2)
Self-assessment questions	154	(3)
Shape, Space and Measures	157	(61)
Historical and social context	157	(3)
Properties of shape	160	(24)
Position and movement	184	(7)
Measures	191	(18)
Implications for teaching	209	(6)
Self-assessment questions	215	(3)
Problem Solving, Reasoning and Proof	218	(14)
Historical and social context	218	(2)
Problem solving, reasoning and proof	220	(9)
Implications for teaching	229	(1)
Self-assessment questions	230	(2)
Answers to Self-Assessment Questions	232	(10)
Index	242