Developing Symbol Sense for the Minus Sign

Research on how students make sense of and use the minus sign indicates that students struggle to understand the multiple meanings of the minus sign. Teachers can support students in developing robust understanding of each interpretation of the minus sign, and associated symbol sense, so that they can move among the meanings and can recognize and use each meaning seamlessly. Note. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under grant number DRL-0918780. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of NSF. We thank Debra Johanning for her thoughtful comments on drafts of this article. Correspondence should be directed to Lisa Lamb Center for Research in Mathematics and Science Education (CRMSE) 6475 Alvarado Road, Suite 206 San Diego, CA 92120