Research Paper on:
A Case Study in the Classroom: Mathematical Instruction Through Nature

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
in a myriad of ways. This learning begins, in fact, from the point of birth and progresses forward into adulthood and to the point of death. The learning  patterns of infants provide us with what is perhaps one of the most valuable clues as to how learning progresses in general. Infants, after all evidence no relicts of  peer influence or any of the life traumas which can deleteriously impact learning among older students. Infants relate to their world in a manner which is essentially consistent between  individuals. Through their observations and explorations they learn. The manner in which they learn, however, can be applied to other students who, for one reason or another, fail  to progress in their studies at the rate evidenced by their classmates. The purpose of this paper will be to examine the theories of learning as they are presented  by two primary researchers (Piaget and Spelke) and to apply those theories in a case study involving one seven year old boy who is having extreme difficulty understanding basic mathematical  concepts of addition and subtraction. Overview of Theory  Cognitive learning is the process in which knowledge is acquired. It involves an individual being cognizant of his or her environment and gaining knowledge from that environment.  This involves both thinking and problem solving which in turn results in memory formation and learning. Memory and learning are inextricably paired in the behavioral patterns of infants.  Two researchers in particular have added to our understanding of how infants learn from their surroundings. These researchers are Jean Piaget and Elizabeth Spelke.