Podcast 186. Nicole McNeil on the Equals Sign & Manipulatives (15-2-14):

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney

On this podcast we hear why many young children don't understand the meaning of the equals sign and what can be done about it. We also hear why manipulatives are not good for teaching the cardinality of numbers (i.e. that when you count objects, the final number relates to the whole set and not just to the final object that was counted). My guest is Professor Nicole McNeil who directs the Cognition Learning and Development Lab at the University of Notre Dame. She is also ACE Associate Professor of Psychology and a fellow of the Institute for Educational Initiatives at the university.