EARLY ALGEBRA AND MATHEMATICS SPECIALISTS
Keywords:
MATHEMATICS SPECIALISTS, EARLY ALGEBRAAbstract
It is important to realize that this Standard spans the elementary and secondary grades. Algebra is a body of knowledge that students learn over a long span of time, beginning in the early grades. Indeed, algebra is not separate from the arithmetic studied in the elementary grades; rather, algebra and arithmetic are integrally connected.
It is also important to understand that early algebra is not what we understand as high school algebra taught in earlier grades. Most researchers echo Carpenter and Levi who claim the goal of early algebra is to develop algebraic thinking [2]. They, like other researchers in the field, conceive of algebraic reasoning as the building, expression, and justification of generalizations, representing mathematical ideas with symbols, and using those symbols to represent and solve problems [3-8]. The algebraic reasoning most appropriate for elementary school that is the focus of these researchers‘ work typically falls into one of two subcategories: generalized arithmetic and functions.
References
Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Reston, VA, 2000.
T. Carpenter and L. Levi, Developing Conceptions of Algebraic Reasoning in the Primary Grades, National Center for Improving Student Learning and Achievement in Mathematics and Science, Madison, WI, 2000; Internet: http://www.wisc.wcer.edu/ncisla.
J. Kaput, ―Transforming Algebra from an Engine of Inequity to an Engine of Mathematical Power by ‗Algebrafying‘ the K–12 Curriculum,‖ in The Nature and Role of Algebra in the K–14 Curriculum: Proceedings of a National Symposium, Washington, DC, 1998.
J. Kaput, ―Teaching and Learning a New Algebra,‖ in E. Fennema and T. Romberg (eds.), Mathematics Classrooms that Promote Understanding, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, NJ, 1993.
J. Kaput, ―What is Algebra? What is Algebraic Reasoning?‖ in J. Kaput, D. Carraher, and M. Blanton (eds.), Algebra in the Early Grades, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates/Taylor Francis Group, Mahwah, NJ, 2008.
D. Schifter, S.J. Russell, and V. Bastable, ―Early Algebra to Reach the Range of Learners,‖ Teaching Children Mathematics, 16(4) (2009) 230-237.
D. Carraher, A. Schliemann, B. Brizuela, and D. Earnest, ―Arithmetic and Algebra in Early Mathematics Education,‖ Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 37(2) (2006) 87–115.
