At some point in their math development, children will begin to understand that numbers are not always for counting or telling “how many.” Awareness of this fact helps children sort out the confusing varieties of number-related input they receive in their daily life.
© Erikson Institute’s Early Math Collaborative. Reprinted from Big Ideas of Early Mathematics: What Teachers of Young Children Need to Know (2014), Pearson Education.
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Students create visual representations of different numbers. All children will benefit most from exploring number arrangements by beginning with 3 and moving up from that.
Angela Giglio Andrews explains a math activity she used in a preschool class. Despite its apparent simplicity, it led to a wide variety of responses from her students.
Jennifer McCray, director of Erikson’s Early Math Collaborative, addresses some myths about early math. Counting is, in fact, complicated!
Jennifer McCray, director of Erikson’s Early Math Collaborative, continues her talk on some of the most common misconceptions about early math education.
Jennifer McCray, director of Erikson’s Early Math Collaborative, continues her talk on some of the major misunderstandings about what goes into teaching mathematics to young students. In this section, she focuses on how children gradually develop their understanding of number and quantity.
Using a number line with the digits hidden from view, a student counts backwards and forwards.