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Benefits of Practicing 4 = 2 + 2: Nontraditional Problem Formats Facilitate Children’s Understanding of Mathematical Equivalence
Author(s) -
McNeil Nicole M.,
Fyfe Emily R.,
Petersen Lori A.,
Dunwiddie April E.,
BrleticShipley Heather
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2011.01622.x
Subject(s) - equivalence (formal languages) , mathematical practice , psychology , mathematics education , arithmetic , developmental psychology , mathematics , discrete mathematics
This study examined whether practice with arithmetic problems presented in a nontraditional problem format improves understanding of mathematical equivalence. Children ( M age = 8;0; N = 90) were randomly assigned to practice addition in one of three conditions: (a) traditional, in which problems were presented in the traditional “operations on left side” format (e.g., 9 + 8 = 17); (b) nontraditional, in which problems were presented in a nontraditional format (e.g., 17 = 9 + 8); or (c) no extra practice. Children developed a better understanding of mathematical equivalence after receiving nontraditional practice than after receiving traditional practice or no extra practice. Results suggest that minor differences in early input can yield substantial differences in children’s understanding of fundamental concepts.