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Research
We at the Early Algebra
Project have been observing young children, 8-10
years of age, as they come to learn about and use
mathematics. By documenting closely how children
make sense of mathematical ideas and tools we hope
to provide the mathematics education community with
examples that may help improve both research and
practice. We have been looking at children's
thinking both in classrooms and in interview
situations. All of our work in schools is recorded
on video tapes and analysed carefully by a team of
specialists.
Presently we are working
with 3 groups of children as during their second,
third, and fourth years of schooling. Our work to
date has focused on the following topics:
• How children
understand "more" and "less".
• What is so difficult
about additive comparisons.
• Thinking about
addition and subtraction as functions.
• Students' reasoning
about generalized numbers and variables.
• How children think
of multiplication and division.
• The role of tables.
• How children can and
do use algebraic notation elementary school.
Our research team, from TERC and Tufts University, maintains close contacts with other educators and researchers throughout the world who have been trying to understand the arithmetical and algebraic reasoning of young learners. We share the view, with many of our colleagues, that present-day curricula underestimate, by a long shot, the learning capabilities of students. We feel that the best way to show this, and to pave the way to major reform in mathematics education, is to set up a research basis that we and others can learn from.
Available on our website in
the Publications section are a series of research
papers by our project. Because of their size, we
provide PDF (Portable Document Format) files for
download. If you are unable to view these files,
please contact us for hard copies. In the Class
Materials section
you will find a detailed description of the class
as well as handout sheets for students.
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