EDU431 METHODS OF TEACHING

MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE IN

THE PRIMARY/JUNIOR GRADES
Required reading I: Analysis and Reflection.
Title: Elementary School Mathematic Priorities
CITATION: Wilson, W. S. (2009). Elementary school mathematics priorities.
Articles on Best Practice,40. Retrieved from,
http://www.math.jhu.edu/~wsw/papers2/education/14b-elem-math-priorities- preferred-09.pdf
ABSTRACT:

ANALYSIS/REFLECTION:

There are five basic building blocks of

elementary mathematics. The following
are the five basic building blocks:
numbers, place value system, whole
number operations, fractions and
decimals, and problem solving.
Mathematics is a precise discipline.
Students must learn the precise use of
the terms, operations, and symbols of
mathematics. An understanding of
abstract mathematics and critical
thinking skills necessary to extract a
mathematics problem. This will allow
students to solve many problems with a
small skill set.

Mathematics is a collection of related

topics. I believe, and it is proven in the
article, that mathematics is hierarchical.
This means that certain things should
be taught before others. If I was
teaching mathematics, I would have the
students understand numbers first.
Numbers are the foundation of
mathematics. It is important that
students learn to count and develop a
second nature of the single digit
number facts for addition and
multiplication and similarly the facts of
division and subtraction. Once students
learn this, they will be able to
concentrate on new concepts and
problem solving.