Case Made for Preschool Math

07/30/2009

When times are easy and there’s plenty to go around, individual species can go it alone. But when conditions are harsh and life is tenuous, it takes a team sworn to reciprocity to keep life going forward...So say the lichens.
Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass

Preschool programs need to spend more time teaching math. That is what the National Research Councils recommends in its report to Congress, Mathematics Learning in Early Childhood: Paths Toward Excellence and Equity. The report argues...

"...although virtually all young children have the capability to learn and become competent in mathematics, for most the potential to learn mathematics in the early years of school is not currently realized. This stems from a lack of opportunities to learn mathematics either in early childhood settings or through everyday experiences in homes and in communities. This is particularly the case for economically disadvantage children who start out behind in mathematics and will remain so without extensive, high-quality early mathematics instruction. In fact, well before first grade, children can learn the ideas and skills that support later, more complex mathematics understanding....

"Examination of current standards, curricula, and instruction in early childhood education revealed that many early childhood settings do not provide adequate learning experiences in mathematics. The relative lack of high-quality mathematics instruction, especially in comparison to literacy, reflects a lack of attention to mathematics throughout the childhood education systems, including standards, curriculum, instruction, and the preparation and training of the teaching workforce."

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Talking
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Multi-Language Programs
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Math and Numbers Part 2

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