THE SPATIAL STRUCTURE OF HUNDREDS CHARTS.

Hundreds charts are an essential tool for teachers in the mathematics classroom. The present study investigated the effects of spatial configuration in hundreds charts on children's placevalue knowledge and their strategies for solving arithmetic word problems. Kindergarten and first-grade students were assigned to three instructional conditions in which they worked with a researcher to solve arithmetic problems. The charts in the conditions differed by spatial configuration. Results showed that the children improved their place-value knowledge and were more likely to use strategies based on place-value concepts when the numbers in the chart increased from top to bottom than when the numbers increased from bottom to top. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]