Promising Math 2017 was the first in a biennial conference bringing together stakeholders from across the country to share knowledge about the understanding, teaching, and learning of mathematics for children between birth and eight years.
Access to math for young English Language Learners (ELLs)
Our first Promising Math event explored the impact of dual language learning experiences on the construction of mathematical understanding in children from birth to age 8.
Compared to native-English speakers, language-minority children in the United States begin kindergarten with math scores about three-fourths of a standard deviation lower. Among the subset of these children who are not considered “English proficient,” the difference in math scores is a full standard deviation (Galindo, 2010). Given the strong predictive power of math achievement at kindergarten entry for overall school success (Duncan et al., Other), there is great interest in the early math field in developing a better understanding of how these gaps can be addressed.
Over 80 professionals from across the country gathered at Erikson Institute in October 2017 to explore the topic.