The most important thing young children can learn about data analysis is why we do it. When they understand that it might be the most effective way to answer a difficult question, they have the piece of information that makes data analysis something they might want to know more about. Knowing the purpose of data analysis motivates children to try it and to try to understand how it works.

Foundational Math Topics

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Planning Conversation for Shoe Graph Lesson

In this planning conversation, a teacher and coach discuss some of their ideas and concerns about a forthcoming lesson. With a coach, she discusses some of her ideas and concerns about the forthcoming lesson.

Series: Focus on Collaboration
Topics: Data Analysis
Age/Grade Level: Pre-K Kindergarten
English Language Learner, Graphing, Shoes, Seasonal, Books, Planning

Which Holds More?

This video from our Focus on the Lesson series demonstrates an activity for teaching capacity in kindergarten and preschool. Students look at two containers and try to determine which one would hold more liquid.

Series: Focus on the Lesson
Topics: Measurement Data Analysis
Age/Grade Level: Pre-K Kindergarten
English Language Learner, Capacity, Gesture

EMTR081-1 3-5 year old childrens education programs graphing for kids what is data analysis

Shoe Graph

In this video, students brainstorm ways to sort their shoes. Later, they graphically organize the data from the sets they created.

Series: Focus on the Lesson
Topics: Data Analysis
Age/Grade Level: Pre-K Kindergarten
English Language Learner, Graphing, Shoes, Seasonal, Books, Whose Shoes?, Stephen R. Swinburne

Mathematical Modeling with Lyn English

Lyn English explains an exploratory method of teaching math. “The children’s learning was extended beyond the curriculum because they discovered a lot of the mathematical ideas themselves.”