A Facilitation Model for the Transfer of Basic Mathematical Concepts

In this paper the author proposes a learning model for basic mathematics based on measurement concepts. By analyzing mathematical concepts and citing related psychological and educational research, he develops and justifies this model. The basic premise on which the model is based is the notion that measurement provides an approach to number concepts which is more appropriate to young learners than the traditional counting approach. This premise is supported by the author's arguments that children do not readily grasp the concept of one-ness, and that ordinality is the central concept of arithmetic. The concepts of zero and continuity, assignment of numbers to related dimensions, accuracy in determining a quantity, and the arithmetic operations are developed. In discussing the problem of transfer and its facilitation through this model, the author refers to research on memory and learning set. (SD)