Foundational Math Topics
Age/Grade Levels
Content Formats
Series
Content Format: Article
Activities, ideas, and discussion helping teachers think through maths in classrooms.
Series: Focus on the Child
Why Cardinality is the Goal of Counting
May 19, 2021
What is cardinality? And how is it related to counting? The common definition of cardinality states that it’s the understanding that the last number word said when counting tells how many in all.
- Topic: Counting, Number Sense, Sets
- Age/Grade Level: Kindergarten, Pre-K
- Tags Cardinality
Series: Book Ideas May 5, 2021
Early Childhood Data Collection Activities Are for the Birds
Children are naturally interested in birds, so springtime is the perfect opportunity for early childhood data collection activities. Here are some favorites, along with book recommendations.
- Topic: Data Analysis
- Age/Grade Level: 1st Grade, Kindergarten, Pre-K
- Tags Animals, Asia Citro, Birds, Family Math, Kevin Henkes, Susan Edwards Richmond
Series: Ideas at Work April 14, 2021
DIY Rekenrek Ideas for Home and School
To encourage teachers and other adults to use rekenreks, it's important to not only go over ways to use a rekenrek, but also we thought we would make sure everyone has opportunities to have them, whatever the budget.
- Topic: Counting, Number Sense
- Age/Grade Level: Kindergarten, Pre-K
- Tags Rekenrek, Subitizing
Series: About the Collaborative February 22, 2021
Denver Head Start Teachers Sustain Children’s Growth in Math
An ongoing professional development program with Denver Great Kids Head Start (DGKHS) shows the power of a multi-year partnership to build sustainable growth in math achievement for young children.
- Age/Grade Level: Kindergarten, Pre-K
Series: Ideas at Work January 26, 2021
3 Ways to See Mathematical Structure in Everyday Kitchen Math
Cooking with kids is a natural way to do math together. But we're not talking about turning meal preparation into a formal math lesson. Cooking together presents an opportunity that is more about noticing and wondering rather than teaching.
- Topic: Measurement, Pattern
- Age/Grade Level: 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, Kindergarten, Pre-K
- Tags Family Math
Series: Adult Learning January 18, 2021
4 Key Findings for Early Childhood Coaching Strategies with Teachers
Instructional coaching is central to the Collaborative's professional development efforts. There is a lot to learn from what works and what doesn't when it comes to early childhood coaching strategies, particularly when focused on the teaching of early mathematics.
- Age/Grade Level: 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, Kindergarten, Pre-K
Series: Focus on Play December 29, 2020
New Use of Quantity Cards for Remote Preschool Math Games
Whether teaching in-person with social distancing or online, the number one question we hear from teachers is how to adapt preschool math games for remote learning. Here are some game ideas that work equally well in person or online.
- Topic: Counting, Number Operations
- Age/Grade Level: Kindergarten, Pre-K
- Tags Family Math, Games, Play, Subitizing
Series: About Early Math December 27, 2020
Early Childhood Teachers Look Back on a Year Like No Other
The Collaborative interviewed three Chicago-area early childhood teachers who spoke honestly about the challenges and rewards of teaching during the pandemic.
Series: Book Ideas November 11, 2020
Best Books for Toddlers to Spark More Talk about More and Less
It’s easy to turn reading books with toddlers into conversations about the math that is all around us. The idea of more and less comes into all kinds of books and finger plays toddlers love—including counting books.
- Age/Grade Level: 0-3
- Tags Family Math
Series: Book Ideas November 3, 2020
Best Books for Babies to Find Math in Their World
Books are great for babies. Research clearly supports this. What are the best books for babies? We use our Precursor Concepts as a framework for discussing math thinking during the ages of 0-3.
- Age/Grade Level: 0-3
- Tags Family Math
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