Annotated Bibliography Donna Robertson MIAA 340 Bezuk, N., & Cramer, K. (1989). Teaching about fractions: What, when, and how? National Council of Teachers of Mathematics 1989 Yearbook: New Directions for Elementary School Mathematics, 156-167. The authors propose changes in the standard ways to teach fractions to children. The need for these changes are seen in the lack of understanding of fractions shown by older students. Their proposals include giving younger children more time to develop understanding through the use of manipulatives and delaying computational operations with fractions until sixth grade. Their proposals may have helped influence newer curriculum such as Engage NY, and the new Common Core Standards are now greatly increasing the amount of time children spend in developing their conceptual knowledge of fractions. Burris, J. (2013). Virtual place value. Teaching Children Mathematics, 20, 228-236. The author, a math coach in Houston, Texas, investigateshow students think mathematically when using virtual rather than concrete place-value blocks. The study, involving third graders, follows one group through a series of lessons while they use concrete place-value blocks and follows another group through the same series of lessons while they use virtual place-value blocks. While both groups showed similarities in how they constructed numbers, there were pronounced differences in their abilities to construct noncanonical representations of numbers. This is an intriguing finding on how technology can lead to better understanding of place-value “trading” used in subtraction. Cotter, J. (2000, Oct.). Using language and visualization to teach place value. Teaching Children Mathematics, 108-114. The author developed a study using Japanese methods for teaching numeracy to first graders in Minnesota. The important skill of subitizing was taught using manipulatives such as fingers, tally sticks, and the abacus that develop visualizing in groups of fives and tens. One by one counting was discouraged. Visualization strategies were taught to help them with the pattern of trading within the place values.Initial instruction used modified names for numbers above ten (I-ten 3 for thirteen, for example) and the traditional number names were not taught until mid-year. This study should be required reading for all preschool, Kindergarten, and first grade teachers as the ability of the study group to do mental computations was quite impressive. Ramazan, A. (2010). Eight(h) graders’ capabilities in exponents: Making mental comparisons. Practice and Theory in Systems of Education, 5, 39-48. This is a thorough study of how students compare exponents. The study sample includes female and male eighth graders from Turkey and finds that they were quite successful when comparing exponents when the base and power were natural numbers. However, they were much less successful when negative integers were used or when the power was not a natural number. The author concludes that initial instruction needs to move beyond the concept of repeated multiplication in order for students to have a more conceptual understanding. For those interested in creating mathematical studies, this article shares insightful information on how to do so ina clear, concise way.Watanabe, T. (2006, Mar.), The teaching and learning of fractions: A Japanese perspective. Teaching Children Mathematics, 368-374. Japanese mathematics’ curriculum introduces fractions in fourth grade using measurement contexts (linear and liquid). Equivalent fractions and addition and subtraction of fractions with like denominators are not introduced until fifth grade. Further operations with fractions are introduced in sixth grade. The author suggests that the delayed instruction in fraction lessons has lead to greater understanding among Japanese students and that this model could benefit American students as well. This is an interesting look at how fractions are taught in Japan and leads to the hope of a shift in our country’s mathematics instruction. Weber, K. (2002). Developing students’ understanding of exponents and logarithms. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, 1-4, 1019-1027. The author states that the teaching of exponents as repeated multiplication is leading to students who do not fully comprehend exponents and logarithms. A series of instructional activities were designed to help lead students to understand the process involved andto deepen their conceptual knowledge by writing a computer program that performed exponentiation. This seems an important article for any algebra instructor as it shows the need for less formulaic initial instruction in this concept.