Elementary Mathematics Instruction Flashcards

Which type of reasoning involves students looking at specific examples and drawing a general conclusion?

Answer: Inductive reasoning

Inductive reasoning moves from specific examples to general conclusions — for example, noticing that all even numbers end in 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8.

A teacher uses pattern blocks to teach geometry. Which shape can tessellate (tile a plane without gaps)?

Answer: Equilateral triangle

Equilateral triangles tessellate perfectly because their angles (60°) are factors of 360°, allowing them to fit together without gaps or overlaps.

Which operation is represented by the equation 24 ÷ 6 = □ if we know the total and number of groups?

Answer: Partitive division

Partitive division means dividing a total into a known number of groups to find how many in each group: 24 split into 6 groups = 4 each.

A student says '0.3 is less than 0.19 because 3 is less than 19.' What misconception does this reveal?

Answer: Confusion about place value in decimals

The student is treating decimal digits as whole numbers; in reality 0.3 = 0.30, which is greater than 0.19, showing a place value misconception.

Which math practice standard from CCSS asks students to make sense of problems and persevere in solving them?

Answer: MP1

Mathematical Practice Standard 1 (MP1) explicitly calls for students to make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

A teacher introduces the concept of area using square tiles on a rectangle. This is an example of which instructional approach?

Answer: Concrete-representational-abstract (CRA) instruction

The CRA approach begins with concrete manipulatives (tiles), moves to pictures/representations, then to abstract formulas — a research-supported sequence.