Multidigit numbers concepts and operations

Rakh
27 March 2011

Introduction

Traditional school systems in United States and many other countries like
India teach children standard algorithm needed for multidigit number oper-
ations like addition and subtraction and encourage them to memorize these
algorithms rather than understanding principles behind these algorithms.
same is the case with base-ten place-value system of written multidigit num-
bers, children have inadequate understanding(Bednartz & Janvier, 1982;
Beishuizen, 1993; Fuson, 1990, 1992a, 1992b;Koubaet et al, 1988; Murray
& Olivier, 1989; Olivier,Murray, & Human,1990). Through many research
projects it's a well know fact that children struggle with multidigit number
concepts and operations. Children's understanding of multidigit numbers
and their computational skills are related (Hiebert & Wearne, 1996).
So far lot of research has been done in this area. These studies can be
grossly divided into following categories

A] Children's multiunit conceptual structures for multidigit

numbers

Understanding of multidigit number and constructing it's meaning is a pro-

longed process, it starts when child enters school, elementary school math-
ematics taught in classrooms help child to develop multidigit conception.
Interaction with teacher, language in classroom, problems solved help child
in this process. Use of dierent support objects(base-ten block,Montessori
cards etc) is very important, as child use these objects as a support for

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visualization in multidigit addition and subtraction at early stage of de-
velopment(Hiebert et al, Fuson,Fraivillig & Burghardt,1992; Hierbert et al,
1997).
Fuson et al(1990) explains developmental sequence of conceptual structure
in detail, they have identied ve dierent correct conceptions of multidigit
numbers that children use. They call it UDSSI model,

1] Unitary multidigit conception:

Quantities are not dierentiated into For 15 dough nuts, 1 is related to teen
into groupings and number words. fteen and quantities are no separated
into 10 dough nuts and 5 dough nuts.

2] Decade-and-ones conception:

Children begin to separate the decades and the word part of numbers and
try to relate each part separately to the quantities to which it refers. e.g. 50
to fty objects and 3 to three objects. Children try to link the decades and
ones parts of a number Typical error by students: they write 503 as they
hear fty three.

3] Sequence-tens-and-ones conception:

Children construct a sequence-tens-and-ones conception, in which each decade

is structured into groups of tens. This requires skill of being able to count
by tens.

4] Separate-tens-ones conception:

Child begins to think of two digit quantities as comprising two separate kinds
of units- units of tens and units of one.

5] Integrated sequence-separate tens conception:

Child can switch between two units rapidly(i.e. units of tens and units ones).

Concatenated single-digit conception:

Even when children have one of the adequate multidigit conceptions and
use this conception to add or subtract numbers meaningfully and accurately
when these are presented in a word problem or horizontally, they may use

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single digit conception for the same computation presented vertically and
make error. (Cobb & Wheatley, 1988; Davis, 1984)

B] Problems children facing

European children face relatively more problem in learning multidigit num-

ber concepts and operations because of the language(English, Italian) they
use. European number words require some decade conception, and the writ-
ten marks require some conception of separate tens and ones(Fuson et al,
1997). I feel same problem exists in Indian vernacular languages like De-
vanagari and Marathi.
Children speaking Chinese-based number words that are regular and
name the tens have a much easier task(Miller,1990;Miller, Agnoli,& Zhu,
1989; Miller & Stigler, 1987). Even few languages in Indian too have regular
number words like that of Chinese-based number words.
Fortunately same problem is not with the number of multiunit of hun-
dreds or thousand, these numbers are ordinarily followed by the word hun-
dred or thousand (e.g., 7500 is said as seven thousand ve hundred). Some
European languages such as Spanish do have some irregularities. These
irregularities may make it more dicult for children to learn(Fuson et al,
1997).
Four-digit numbers in English are sometimes read as 2-digit numbers,
e.g., dates are always read in this way(1918 is read as nineteen eighteen).
It may help in memorizing numbers but it do creates confusion in child's
mind. `-' between two dates in time series (1857-1947) also contributes to
confusion.

C] Invented strategies for multidigit operations

There is mounting evidence that children both in and out of school can
construct methods for adding and subtracting multidigit numbers without
explicit instruction in specic procedures (Carpenter & Fennema, 1992; Car-
raher, Carraher, & Schliemann, 1987; Cobb & Wheatley, 1988; Fuson &
Burghardt, 1993; Hiebert & Wearne, 1996; Kamii, 1989; Labinowicz, 1985;
Nunes, 1992; Olivier, Murray, & Human, 1990; Saxe, 1988).
Children employ a number of strategies for solving multidigit problems at
varying levels of sophistication. Many of these strategies are constructed by
children individually or collectively, without direct instruction by the teacher
(Fuson et al., 1997).

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 Some of these invented strategies(For addition and subtraction) are as
follows: Ex: Finding the sum 38 + 26

Sequential:

Thirty and twenty is fty and the eight makes fty-eight. Then six more is
sixty-four.

Combining units separately:

Thirty and twenty is fty, and eight and six is fourteen. The ten from the
fourteen makes sixty so it's sixty-four.

Compensating:

That's like forty and twenty-four, and that's sixty-four. (Similar strategies
are used for subtractions).
There are many other strategies also, like

Split strategies

Same as `Combining units separately'

Jump strategies

Counting up or down the tens and the units of the second integer from the
rst un-split integer (38 + 26 = .; 38 + 20 = 58; 58 + 6 = 64)

Varying strategies

Involving the adaptation of the numbers and operations in the sum on the
basis of one's understanding of the number relations and the properties of
operations, like in the compensation (38 + 26 = .; 40 + 26-2 = 66-2 = 64).
Invented strategies and standard algorithms dier from each other in few
aspects, standard algorithms are evolved over centuries for ecient and ac-
curate calculations. But this very aspect is missing in school books, whereas
invented strategies are directly derived from underlying multidigit concepts.
Research shows that students those who use strategies before they learned
standard algorithms demonstrate better knowledge of base-ten number con-
cepts and were more successful in extending their knowledge to new situ-
ations than were students who rst learned standard algorithms(Carpenter
T. et al, 1998).

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 I feel in above all cases enough freedom is given children to use multiple
approach/strategies , case is not same in Indian scenario, it is not known or
I haven't come across any research on whether the same strategies are used
or not, or some other strategies used.

References

Fuson, K. C., Wearne, D., Hiebert, J., Murray, H., Human, P., Olivier,
A., Carpenter, T., & Fennema, E. (1997). Children's conceptual structures
for multidigit numbers and methods of multidigit addition and subtraction.
Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 28, 130-162.
Fuson, K. C. (l992b). Research on whole number addition and subtrac-
tion. Handbook of research on mathematics teaching and learning, In D. A.
Grouws (Ed.), Reston, Verginia: National Council of Teachers of Mathemat-
ics, (pp. 243-275).
Hiebert,J., & Wearne,D. (1996). Instruction, understanding, and skill in
multidigit addition and subtraction. Cognition and Instruction, 14, 251-284.
Thomas P. Carpenter, Megan L. Franke, Victoria R. Jacobs, Elizabeth
Fennema, Susan B. Empson, (Jan., 1998). A Longitudinal Study of Inven-
tion and Understanding in Children's Multidigit Addition and Subtraction.
Journal for Research in Mathematics Education Vol. 29, No. 1 , pp. 3-20
Torbeyns, J., Vanderveken, L., Verschael, L. & Ghesquiere, P. (2006).
Adaptive expertise in the number domain 20-100. International Group for
the Psychology of Mathematics Education, Vol. 5, pp. 289-296.