At first read, this list looks like a collection
of disparate topics. However,
the common thread running through
these topics lies in the mode of thinking
required to master them. The key
to such mastery are the two mathematical
habits of—
1. abstracting regularity from calculations
and
2. articulating a generalization using
mathematical language.
These skills are extremely effective
in helping students transition from
arithmetic to algebra. By “effective,”
we mean that students who succeed in
algebra have developed these habits,
whereas students who struggle at the
cusp between arithmetic and algebra
have not