Number Line Estimation with Negatives

When to introduce negative integers to children is an important issue in school mathematics; delaying their introduction can lead to lasting misconceptions such as one cannot subtract a larger whole number from a smaller. Yet understanding negatives involves a complex extension of whole-number knowledge. It is not known whether this extension is only possible after whole-number concepts are learned or whether simultaneous acquisition of positive and negative integer concepts is possible. This study used an established whole-number intervention (playing linear board games), extended to include negatives, with kindergartners and first graders. Performance placing integers on empty number lines provided evidence of students' understanding of integer concepts. [For the complete proceedings, see ED583989.]