February 22, 2023
Many of children’s favorite board games follow a path to a goal. Exploring a number path with young children also leads to a goal that is critical for early mathematics: understanding number relationships. What is…
Counting books that offer children opportunities to participate bring play into math learning. These books engage children physically, cognitively, and emotionally—making them favorites that children will ask to read again and again.
It turns out that mathematical thinking is developed in conversation with others; asking students “how do you know that?” will reveal a child’s mathematical reasoning skills. The ability to explain one’s thinking is a cognitive…
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.
Looking for new rekenrek activity ideas? Try voting with a rekenrek chart. In this video, we see a rekenrek chart used to solve a dilemma common to early childhood classrooms: choosing between two favorite books…
A good sense of the number ten is critical for building young children’s reasoning strategies. Here we see kindergarteners making the number ten on a rekenrek, a tool with red and white beads in groups…
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…
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…
The Collaborative interviewed three Chicago-area early childhood teachers who spoke honestly about the challenges and rewards of teaching during the pandemic.
Stamping or imprinting with a homemade playdough recipe using everyday household items is an active way for children to explore the big ideas of shape.