MATHEMATICS IN PROCESS

by Ann Baker, Johnny Baker

Mathematics in Process is written to develop and extend a confidence in mathematics that teachers already feel in language arts. The purposes and conditions of natural learning, now common in the language classroom, are applied to learning and doing mathematics. The emphasis is on encouraging children to try for themselves, letting them develop and compare math strategies in situations that are meaningful and important. This involves enabling children to develop their own approaches, work collaboratively on mathematics, communicate their findings, and reflect on what they have learned. The authors have organized their ideas around the framework of process writing, applying the principles used in language arts to teaching mathematics. The three platforms that support their ideas children need to experience the process of doing math, of becoming involved with a problem or situation, finding and refining their own methods; children need a sense of ownership, using their own experiences, generating their own questions, and following their own lines of investigation; children need to communicate their methods and results to others, relating their findings to their original purpose for using math. Above all, this book encourages teachers to share in childrens excitement when mathematics is in process and shows that this approach provides a means of unlocking mathematics creatively in every child.

170 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1990