The use of commutative principle as a shortcut in young children’s mental additive computations

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Published: Sep 4, 2019
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/hjre.20055
Keywords:
commutativity principle mental calculations primary school mathematics
Δέσποινα (Despina) Δεσλή (Desli)
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8532-591X
Χαρίκλεια-Ειρήνη Αγγέλη
Αριστοτέλειο Πανεπιστήμιο Θεσσαλονίκης Παιδαγωγικό Τμήμα Δημοτικής Εκπαίδευσης
Abstract

The aim of the present study was to examine young children’s use of commutativity principle in addition problems and its connection to mental calculations. For this aim, a total of 100 children, coming equally from Year 2 and Year 3 classes, were presented with four tasks that involved: a) additions and subtractions favoring sums that give ten, b) additions and subtractions favoring sums with double numbers, c) control additions and subtractions, and d) equivalences with additions and subtractions. Commutativity principle could be used in all tasks, but the third. Results showed that all the participants had high rates of success (82%). Their performance was not affected by age. The majority of the participants used the commutativity strategy in the tasks that its use was allowed and, particularly, in tasks that involved multi-digit addends. Mental calculations were mainly used by all children compared to written calculations. However, Year 2 children showed greater preference to mental computations compared to Year 3 children. 

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Author Biographies
Δέσποινα (Despina) Δεσλή (Desli), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Αναπληρώτρια Καθηγήτρια Π.Τ.Δ.Ε. Α.Π.Θ.
Χαρίκλεια-Ειρήνη Αγγέλη, Αριστοτέλειο Πανεπιστήμιο Θεσσαλονίκης Παιδαγωγικό Τμήμα Δημοτικής Εκπαίδευσης
Απόφοιτος ΠΤΔΕ ΑΠΘ
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