MATH
The early years
The importance of the
early years
Research provides fi ndings – some surprising – about the
core component of cognition. Learning math
is therefore important. This is especially true
importance of math for young children. Douglas Clements
for children from deprived communities,
and Julie Sarama explore these, and suggest ways to build up
who often have not been provided with rich
opportunities to build math ideas and skills.
children’s mathematical concepts and skills
Young children can learn challenging
NEARLY A CENTURY AGO two giants of research has revealed striking fi ndings of its math
psychology gave quite different impressions of importance and role in education. Even infants can discriminate between groups
the role of math in the lives and education of of two objects and only one object. There is no
young children. Young children need to learn math age too young for mathematical thought. Older
It seems probable that little is gained by using The early years are an especially important children often know more than curriculum
any of the child’s time for arithmetic before period for learning math. Children’s knowledge developers or teachers believe. Even among
grade 2, though there are many arithmetic facts of math in the pre-school and early elementary those who have not had many advantages,
that he [sic] can learn in grade 1. years predicts their mathematics achievement most children starting school can count,
Edward L Thorndike, 1922 for years later – throughout their school recognize some shapes, make patterns, and
Children have their own preschool arithmetic, career. Moreover, what they know in math use non-standard units of measurement.
which only myopic psychologists could ignore. also predicts their reading achievement later. Young children often know, and can
Lev Vygotsky, 1935 Their early knowledge of literacy also predicts defi nitely learn, far more challenging and
Throughout history, views of the role their later reading ability – but only reading interesting mathematics than they are taught
mathematics should play in young children’s ability. Given that early math predicts later in most classrooms. Preschoolers often see
lives have differed widely. However, recent math and reading, it appears that math is a little or no math, and students in the early
6 Better: Evidence-based Education fall 2009
Better(US) Fall09.indb 6 14/10/09 13:04:46
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