Inchworm and a Half: developing fraction and measurement concepts using mathematical representations.(Cover Story) From: Teaching Children Mathematics | Date: January 1, 2004| Author: Mailley, Elizabeth; Moyer, Patricia S. | COPYRIGHT 2004 National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

Children's conceptual understanding, strategic competence, and procedural fluency in mathematics are highly influenced by experiences in the early grades. During these years, many important mathematics concepts, including measurement and rational-number sense, should be a part of children's informal investigations. By informally exploring the same concepts in a variety of ways--with concrete manipulatives, visual models, and abstract representations--first graders can connect their...