Promising Math is 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.

Bridging research and practice around particular and timely issues in early mathematics

The goal is to take into account multiple perspectives on the topic, including those of researchers in cognitive development and education, interventionists who work directly with children and families, professionals who support and educate teachers and parents, and parents/caregivers themselves.

Promising Math is a two-day event that includes a mixture of plenary presentations, roundtables, and panel presentations, all with an important topic in mind that affects early mathematics teaching and learning in America.

Registration for Promising Math 2019 is now open. Registration is $150.

2019

Focus: Early math learning in family and community contexts

Location

Chicago, IL

Dates

November 15-16, 2019

2017

Focus: Access to math for young English Language Learners (ELLs)

Location

Chicago, IL

Dates

October 13-14, 2017

2017 Program and Materials

Goals and Vision

The goals of this conference are:

To build coherence in math education across the birth to 3rd grade span in the United States
To provide a forum for discussing new findings from research, recent trends in the field, and the connections between them
To build networks of researchers and practitioners who will work together to inform and improve policy and practice

Each conference centers on a focal topic, which will allow all participants to share, analyze, and plan collaborative work around substantive issues in the field of early mathematics.

2019 Overview

Family math is a current “buzz word” among early math educators. Different organizations define it differently, but it generally refers to math-related activities that happen outside the classroom and within the context of family relationships and everyday life. Given findings that early math achievement at preschool entry is predictive of later school success, and that there is an opportunity gap for children from under-resourced communities, we need to know more about how to activate and celebrate math learning in diverse racial, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic family and community contexts.

Early math learning in family and community contexts

We intend Promising Math 2019 to provide opportunities to address these concerns through the sharing and building of knowledge, and the development of new partnerships and networks of concerned stakeholders. Operating from the position that mathematics is both vitally important and an opportunity for joyful learning and relationships, our convening will highlight recent research on contexts where early math learning takes place before and outside of school. We want to connect diverse participants from varying backgrounds and offer examples of new frameworks for understanding culturally- and linguistically-diverse family interactions around mathematics.

2019 Plenary Speakers

Kelly Mix, Ph.D. is the Chair of the Human Development and Quantitative Methodologies (HDQM) department at the University of Maryland. A former elementary school teacher, Dr. Mix transitioned to academia to better understand how different teaching processes work, as well as why some students struggle to learn concepts that come easily to others. Her research focuses on the development of mathematical cognition and number and spatial concepts in young children.

Omo Moses is the Executive Director and founding member of the Young People’s Project (YPP) and the founder of MathTalk, a community-based educational technology lab located in Boston focusing on the research and design of early math products and services for parents, caregivers, teachers and children. MathTalk strives to inspire and equip adults with tools that prompt high quality early math experiences and conversations with children.

David Purpura, Ph.D. is associate professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Purdue University. His current focus is on evaluating the effects of literacy and executive functioning skills on the development of young children’s mathematical knowledge as well as on evaluating interventions and instructional methods that enhance this development. He also studies the home numeracy and literacy environment and how home factors affect children’s academic skills at preschool entry.

2019 Major Questions
Early math learning in family and community contexts

Cognitive:

Exploring thinking and development from birth to age 8

What is the nature of the mathematics children are learning/should learn before kindergarten? Before preschool?
How do language and thinking interact prior to preschool (between birth and three years) to contribute to math learning?
What are intrinsic/instinctive forms of understanding that infants bring to help them develop their very early understanding of space, quantity, and size?

Contextual:

Understanding and shaping children’s experiences for learning

What do we know about the role of families and caregivers in the development of the earliest mathematical thinking?
What do family interactions around mathematics look like, particularly in more racially, ethnically, socio-economically, and culturally diverse communities?
What is current thinking around measuring family interactions related to early math? What are the measurement challenges?
What kinds of inputs, such as toys, environments (parks, libraries, museums), apps (and technology in general), and play experiences, help to develop early math thinking?

Collaborative:

Supporting adults who help

How can we develop more strength-based approaches to help us tap funds of knowledge and competence among commonly marginalized families?
How can home visitors, teachers, and other professionals who work with families with young children help them provide rich and positive early math-related experiences for young children? How should we support these professionals?
What are promising and innovative ways to support busy parents and parents who don’t have easy access to museums and libraries?
To what extent do standards and policies reflect the best thinking about how to mobilize families and caregivers to enhance math learning?

Registration opens June 2019

Promising Math 2019 is intended to be useful to a wide variety of professionals, including researchers in cognitive development and education, interventionists who work directly with children and families, professionals who support and educate teachers and parents, and parents/caregivers themselves. The conference will serve to integrate research and practice, with the goal of generating new knowledge and networks.

Registration is $150.

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2019 Advisory Board

Tonya Bibbs, Erikson Institute

Kimberly Brenneman, Heising-Simons Foundation

Eric Dearing, Boston College

Rebeca Itzkowich, Erikson Institute

Kelly James, Education First

Danny Martin, University of Illinois at Chicago

Jennifer McCray, Erikson Institute

Kristen Reed, Education Development Center

Pamela Williams, THRIVE Washington

Sponsors

The conference is generously funded by a grant from the Heising-Simons Foundation.

Growing Mathematical Minds

Available now

Our latest book Growing Mathematical Minds bridges research and practice. We translate research on early mathematics from developmental psychology into terms that are meaningful to teachers and readily applicable in early childhood classrooms.

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Because learning never takes a break

These two events offer a chance for early childhood professionals to work with Erikson Institute experts and gain an in-depth understanding of foundational mathematics. Sign-up today

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