Calculators help children focus on the problem-solving process. They relieve the drudgery of drill, and for many students remove the anxiety felt during math class. For many of these students, time constraints hinder learning. They may possess the skill and knowledge of a particular mathematical process, but speed is an obstacle. Calculators provide the confidence needed to achieve and also make these students more efficient.
Cooperative groups lend themselves most readily to the use of calculators.
And students will be very aware of the truism that calculators are tools only as good as the skill of the user. As a former elementary classroom math teacher, I have used calculators at all grade levels. They should be used to verify a mathematical process. The student must have a clear knowledge of the procedure to support his or her answer. This type of use fits well into the NCTM standards.