Some Findings on Conceptual Development of Computational Skills
William L. Swart · The Arithmetic Teacher · 1985
With the prevailing wind of the 1980s blowing “back to the basics” and with the countervailing efforts by those mathematic educator who have long been fighting rote memorization of facts and algorithms. one is a bit reluctant to report data on students' ability to compute. However, the findings reported here on achievement in addition and subtraction by first-grade children help make the case for the conceptual rather than the mechanized approach to the operation. The results may not be startling. but the in truction that brought them about does suggest some strategies for teaching computation.