Future elementary and middle school teachers need a clear, coherent presentation of the mathematical concepts, procedures, and processes they will be called upon to teach. This text uniquely balanceswhatthey will teach (concepts and content) withhowto teach (processes and communication). As a result, students usingMathematics for Elementary School Teachersleave the course knowing more than basic math skills; they develop a deep understanding of concepts that enables them to effectively teach others. This Fourth Edition features an increased focus on the 'big ideas'of mathematics, as well as the individual skills upon which those ideas are built.

Phares O'Daffer received his BS and MS from Illinois State University and studied at the University of Iowa and the University of Michigan before receiving his PhD in mathematics education from the University of Illinois. His teaching experience spans grade three to college, including early involvement with the University of Illinois Committee on School Mathematics and the Ball State Experimental Program, as well as teaching at Ball State University and Illinois State University.

Phares has co-authored six major K-8 Elementary School Mathematics textbook series, used extensively in elementary schools in the United States and around the world, and over 100 mathematics books ranging from kindergarten to college-level. He has also authored a number of articles in professional journals and served as Chairman of the Editorial Panel for the Arithmetic Teacher, a major journal of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

 

His long-time interest in genealogy is showcased on his genealogy Web site, www.Odaffer.com. He also enjoys golf, tennis, and travel, and was recently involved as community representative on the editorial panel of his local newspaper and was on the board of directors of a local hospital. Married to Harriet Gove O'Daffer, he has three children and seven grandchildren.

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Randy Charles received his BS from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. While working as a high school mathematics teacher, he went on to earn his MS from the University of Maryland. He later attended Indiana University where he worked on a federally-funded research and curriculum development project on problem solving. He served roughly 30,000 students in a West Virginia school district as a K-12 mathematics supervisor before moving on to teaching positions at Illinois State University and then San Jose State University, California.

 

Randy has written over 100 textbooks for students and teachers and has been heavily involved with NCTM, authoring several NCTM publications. He has spoken at hundreds of state, national, and international mathematics education conferences; was a national speaker for the Learning magazine for many years; and served as vice-president of the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics.

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Thomas Cooney received his BEd and MEd from the University of Toledo, majoring in mathematics and mathematics education respectively, and his Ph.D. in mathematics education from the University of Illinois. He began his teaching career in middle and secondary schools mathematics in Ohio before moving on to teach in the University of Georgia's Department of Mathematics Education.

 

His research on teaching and teacher education has been internationally recognized through his publications and his lectures in more than 20 countries. Tom was awarded the Gladys Thomason Award for outstanding service to the Georgia Council of Teachers of Mathematics and has received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Illinois’ College of Education. He was the founding editor of the international Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education. His most recent work involves assessing various federally-funded projects on teacher education and writing materials on functions for teachers.

 

Tom is an avid golfer, photographer, and an experienced traveler.

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John Dossey attended Illinois State University, receiving his BS and MS in mathematics there. He began his teaching career at the junior high school level, later moving to high school, and then accepting a position as a K-12 mathematics coordinator for the Normal, Illinois public schools. John completed his PhD in mathematics education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. By this time, he was already teaching mathematics and mathematics education classes in the Department of Mathematics at Illinois State University. At Illinois State, he moved through the ranks, becoming Distinguished University Professor of Mathematics. He became involved in a variety of activities involving state, national (NAEP, ACT, and SAT), and international (SIMS, TIMSS, & PISA) student assessments. With this experience, John went on to author or co-author over 80 books ranging from middle school through collegiate mathematics, including methods texts for preservice teachers and professional development titles on assessment and curriculum.

 

John served as president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and helped lead the development of the initial NCTM Standards. He served as chair of the Conference Board for the Mathematical Sciences in Washington, D.C.; as Distinguished Visiting Professor of Mathematics at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY; and as a member of many national and international committees and boards dealing with mathematics and mathematics education issues. Away from his professional life, John and his wife, Anne, enjoy living in the country, traveling, and getting together with friends.

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Jane Faith Schielack first discovered her love of mathematics in elementary school and it continued to grow throughout her life. She received her BS in Education from Texas A&M University, with certification in Mathematics and English in grades 1-12. After teaching third grade in Victoria, Texas, Janie earned an MA in Mathematics Education from the University of Texas at Austin and became the elementary mathematics consultant at the Texas Education Agency. Later, she returned to Texas A&M University for her PhD in mathematics education while working as a lecturer there in the mathematics courses for elementary and secondary education majors.

 

Now a professor in mathematics and education at Texas A&M University, Janie has continued her involvement with the Texas Education Agency's development of the state-mandated curriculum in mathematics; made hundreds of presentations at mathematics conferences for teachers; written and presented a variety of professional development institutes for in-service teachers; and authored articles and textbooks focusing on helping children understand mathematics.

 

Janie spends her free time enjoying her family. She unabashedly admits to using her children as instructional guinea pigs and handy sources of data on learning.