Strategies for Solving Simple Subtractions as Reflected by Children's Verbal Reports1

Abstract: Svenson, O. & Hedenborg, M.‐L. 1980. Strategies for Solving Simple Subtractions as Reflected in Childrens's Verbal Reports. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research 24,157‐172. Children, 9‐11 years old, solved subtraction problems in the form of M‐N = . . . , where 0 ≤S M ≤ 13, 0 ≤ N ≤ 13, and N ≤ M. Following the answer of a problem, the child gave a verbal report about the thought processes used to arrive at the solution. The analysis of the retrospective verbal reports started from an earlier presented model based on analyses of reaction times, and resulted in a new and more detailed process model. The verbal reports indicated that the answers were obtained either by direct retrieval from memory or in a reconstructive memory process. When problems where M=N, N=0 or N=l were excluded from the analysis, about #fr3/4> of the remaining answers were retrieved. The most frequently used reconstructive strategies were one‐unit step counting down (e.g., 7‐3: 7, 6, 5, 4), counting down greater step...

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