CHAPTER 5

Process of Doing
Mathematics

Tina Rye Sloan

To accompany Helping Children Learn Math9e, Reys et al.
©2009 John Wiley & Sons
 Focus Questions
• What five processes are identified in Principles and Standards for
School Mathematics as key to an active vision of learning and doing
mathematics?
• How is teaching mathematics through problem solving different
from simply teaching students to solve problems?
• For young children, what does mathematical reasoning involve and
how does it help them make sense of mathematical knowledge and
relationships?
• How can elementary children be encouraged to communicate their
mathematical thinking?
• What connections are important to aid elementary children in
learning mathematics?
• What are three major goals for representation as a process in
elementary school mathematics?

Reys/ Lindquist/ Lamdin/ Smith, Helping Children Learn Math,

9th Edition, © 2009
 NCTM Process Standards

• Problem Solving
• Reasoning and Proof
• Communication
• Connections
• Representations

Principles and Standards for School Mathematics

(NCTM, 2000)

Reys/ Lindquist/ Lamdin/ Smith, Helping Children Learn Math,

9th Edition, © 2009
 NCTM Process Standards
Instructional programs from pre-kindergarten through
grade 12 should enable students to:
• Problem Solving
▫ build new mathematical knowledge through problem
solving
▫ solve problems that arise in mathematics and in other
contexts
▫ apply and adapt a variety of appropriate strategies to
solve problems
▫ monitor and reflect on the process of mathematical
problem solving
Reys/ Lindquist/ Lamdin/ Smith, Helping Children Learn Math,
9th Edition, © 2009
 Problem Solving Activity
Rolling the Dice
.
Players take turns rolling the dice. The
first player rolls the two dice and finds
their sum. (For example, if 2 and 2 are
rolled, the sum is 5.) Each player may
remove one counter from his or her 5
space. Even if there is more than one
counter on that space, only one may be
removed. If there are no counters on that
space, no counters may be removed from
any space. The next player rolls the two
dice and finds their sum (e.g., 4 + 4 = 8).
Each player now removes on counter
from his/her 8 space, and so on. The
goal of the game is to empty your board.
The first player with no counters left on
his/her board is the winner.
Reys/ Lindquist/ Lamdin/ Smith, Helping Children Learn Math,
9th Edition, © 2009
 NCTM Process Standards
Instructional programs from pre-kindergarten through
grade 12 should enable students to:
• Reasoning and Proof
▫ Recognize reasoning and proofs as fundamental aspects
of mathematics
▫ Make and investigate mathematical conjectures
▫ Develop and evaluate mathematical arguments and
proofs
▫ Select and use various types of reasoning and methods
of proof
Reys/ Lindquist/ Lamdin/ Smith, Helping Children Learn Math,
9th Edition, © 2009
 Reasoning and Proof
Figure 5-4 Pictures of
odds and evens can
help students justify
why the sum of two
odd numbers is
always even.

Reys/ Lindquist/ Lamdin/ Smith, Helping Children Learn Math,

9th Edition, © 2009
Mathematical Reasoning Leads to Mathematical
Memory Built on Relationships

Figure 5-6 A 10-by-11

rectangle built with two
staircases from 1 to 10 can
help you remember the
formula for the sum of a
series of numbers

Reys/ Lindquist/ Lamdin/ Smith, Helping Children Learn Math,

9th Edition, © 2009
 NCTM Process Standards
Instructional programs from pre-kindergarten through
grade 12 should enable students to:
• Communication
▫ organize and consolidate their mathematical thinking
through communication
▫ communicate their mathematical thinking coherently and
clearly to peers, teachers, and others
▫ analyze and evaluate the mathematical thinking and
strategies of others
▫ use the language of mathematics to express mathematical
ideas precisely
Reys/ Lindquist/ Lamdin/ Smith, Helping Children Learn Math,
9th Edition, © 2009
Communication

Figure 5-2 Fourth-grade students’

writing about playing the dice
game

Reys/ Lindquist/ Lamdin/ Smith, Helping Children Learn Math,

9th Edition, © 2009
 NCTM Process Standards
Instructional programs from pre-kindergarten through
grade 12 should enable students to:
• Connections
▫ recognize and use connections among mathematical
ideas
▫ understand how mathematical ideas interconnect and
build on one another to produce a coherent whole
▫ recognize and apply mathematics in contexts outside of
mathematics

Reys/ Lindquist/ Lamdin/ Smith, Helping Children Learn Math,

9th Edition, © 2009
Connections between Symbols
and Conceptual Understanding

Figure 5-10 Arranging dots in square

patterns connects the number 1, 4, 9
and 16 to their reference as square
numbers

Reys/ Lindquist/ Lamdin/ Smith, Helping Children Learn Math,

9th Edition, © 2009
 NCTM Process Standards
Instructional programs from pre-kindergarten through
grade 12 should enable students to:
• Representations
▫ create and use representations to organize, record, and
communicate mathematical ideas
▫ select, apply, and translate among mathematical
representations to solve problems
▫ use representations to model and interpret physical,
social, and mathematical phenomena

Reys/ Lindquist/ Lamdin/ Smith, Helping Children Learn Math,

9th Edition, © 2009
 Representation
Which graph best represents
the height of students in the
class?

Note that the circle graph

does not order the heights as
clearly as either the bar or line
graph. The line graph
incorrectly gives the
impression that there are
children of heights between
the measurement points.

Reys/ Lindquist/ Lamdin/ Smith, Helping Children Learn Math,

9th Edition, © 2009
 How Can Teachers Support Mathematics
Learning with the Process Standards?

For each standard, list specific instructional

practices you plan to include in your classroom.
• Problem Solving -encourage sense making,
nonroutine problems

• Reasoning and Proof -encourage conjectures

and explanation of ideas

Reys/ Lindquist/ Lamdin/ Smith, Helping Children Learn Math,

9th Edition, © 2009
 How Can Teachers Support Mathematics
Learning with the Process Standards? (cont’d)

• Communication-work individually and in small

groups, use whole class discussion, and writing

• Connections-connect to real life and other subjects

• Representations-provide a variety of materials, have

students use objects, symbols, pictures and look for
various representations/solutions

Reys/ Lindquist/ Lamdin/ Smith, Helping Children Learn Math,

9th Edition, © 2009
Five Ways to Represent
Mathematical Ideas

Pictures

Mani- Written
pulatives symbols

Relevant Spoken
situations language

Reys/ Lindquist/ Lamdin/ Smith, Helping Children Learn Math,

9th Edition, © 2009
 3-5 Big Ideas for Teaching
Mathematics
Recommendations Specific Methods/ Reasons Why
Materials Beneficial

Reys/ Lindquist/ Lamdin/ Smith, Helping Children Learn Math,

9th Edition, © 2009
 Activity
These are pentominoes

Reys/ Lindquist/ Lamdin/ Smith, Helping Children Learn Math,

9th Edition, © 2009
 Activity (cont’d)

These are not pentominoes:

Reys/ Lindquist/ Lamdin/ Smith, Helping Children Learn Math,

9th Edition, © 2009
 Activity (cont’d)

• Write a definition of a pentomino.

• How many different pentominoes are there?

• Illustrate each of these.

• What is the area of each pentomino?

• What is the perimeter of each pentomino?
• What can you conclude about shapes with the same area?
Do these always have the same perimeter? Why or why
not?
Reys/ Lindquist/ Lamdin/ Smith, Helping Children Learn Math,
9th Edition, © 2009