A Focus on Multiplication and Division

Book excerpt: A Focus on Multiplication and Division is a groundbreaking effort to make mathematics education research readily accessible and understandable to pre- and in-service K–6 mathematics educators. Revealing students’ thought processes with extensive annotated samples of student work and vignettes characteristic of teachers’ experiences, this book is sure to equip educators with the knowledge and tools needed to modify their lessons and to improve student learning of multiplication and division. Special Features: Looking Back Questions at the end of each chapter allow teachers to analyze student thinking and to consider instructional strategies for their own students. Instructional Links help teachers relate concepts from each chapter to their own instructional materials and programs. Big Ideas frame the chapters and provide a platform for meaningful exploration of the teaching of multiplication and division. Answer Key posted online offers extensive explanations of in-chapter questions. Each chapter includes sections on the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and integrates the Ongoing Assessment Project (OGAP) Multiplicative Reasoning Progression for formative assessment purposes. Centered on the question of how students develop their understanding of mathematical concepts, this innovative book places math teachers in the mode of ongoing action researchers.