Math achievement in preschool been shown to be an accurate predictor of future progress not only in math, but in other academic areas as well. This is the basis for a study currently taking place in 69 high-poverty schools around New York City.

These schools are implementing the Building Blocks math curriculum, which encourages children to freely explore the classroom. “We want kids running around the classroom and bumping into mathematics at every turn,” says Doug Clements, the developer of Building Blocks. Clements described some of the research behind this study at Erikson Institute’s International Symposium on Early Mathematics Education.

This study will follow students from preschool until third grade to gauge the long-term impact of a highly interactive early math curriculum such as Building Blocks. Pamela Morris, the lead investigator of the study, wonders if they might also witness development of skills that are not strictly academic, such as self-control and attention span.