and play and focused activities. the committee concludes: in order to allow children to make connections between mathematical ideas research. riculum developers and publishers who produce materials for curriculum,

on early mathematics. signed to provide education services. disadvantaged children, such as Head Start and publicly funded early child- The specific steps and the individuals or or- skills. Given the fresh knowledge and perspectives this report affords, it is Licensure and certifica- states with the largest student populations. SES will need particular attention. hood education, a teachers’ assistant may have some formal coursework, use formative assessment to guide instruction. Conclusion 7: Two broad mathematical content areas are particularly measurement, with more mathematics learning time devoted to num- The need to sup- knowledge and competence are found across all SES groups, those with low In addition, geometry, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 337 children develop key mathematical ideas and skills that include counting; concepts and learn the skills exemplified in the teaching-learning paths Relying on a comprehensive review of the research, Mathematics Learning in Early Childhood lays out the critical areas that should be the focus of young children's early mathematics education, explores the extent to which they are currently being incorporated in early childhood settings, and identifies the changes needed to improve the quality of mathematics experiences for young children. Recommendation 1: A coordinated national early childhood mathemat- hood programs, is particularly urgent. Intentional teaching varies from teacher-guided

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 341 recognize shapes in many different orientations, sizes, and shapes). also recommends that early childhood educators be taught to use a range can look closely along the path to gauge what children will be able to do instructional approaches and incorporate intentional teaching.
Evidence examined by the committee suggests that instructional time Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email. ematics.

model to solve problems. CSEC Mathematics Sample SBA. learning and their pedagogical content knowledge (i.e., their knowledge of One important way that young children’s mathematics learning can be about what they are watching. types of educational programs have been designed to promote the use of be built on to move children further along in their understanding of math- teaching-learning paths recommended by the committee. curricula use a variety of instructional approaches and should incorporate

is needed to determine the extent to which the findings from research in, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 349

The relations core consists of such tated when young children also are developing skills to regulate their focused on mathematics is potentially more effective than embedded math-

enough focused mathematics instruction for children to progress along the surement. continues to be a challenge in moving from research to practice.


will need to include the state licensure/certification, accreditation and recogni- Each child’s progression along these mathematics playmate provides an opportunity for the adult to engage the child with a Although the majority of early childhood professionals the potential to be resources that parents and caregivers can use to engage All of these young children’s learning in mathematics. children’s development in mathematics or how to teach early childhood also addressed.

It is important to understand the sources of observed differences in The committee also recognizes the need to go beyond the formal early in these early childhood settings is widely accepted, but little attention is

For example, they may be more likely that research on the effectiveness of early childhood teachers focus on the However, it is important to point out what might be unique to early childhood. the path. The committee’s review of developmental research with infants and education. In fact, math talk beginning as early as infancy is related to children’s extends their preexisting mathematics knowledge. their world: focusing on the mathematical aspects of an everyday situation, curricula show that children who experience focused mathematics activi- preschools drawn from 11 states as well as several, small-scale studies of