Early Childhood Mathematics Skill Development in the Home Environment


Book Description

This volume presents current research on the connections between the home and family environment on children’s mathematics development. Focusing on infancy through first grade, it details the role of parents and other caregivers in promoting numeracy and the ways their active participation can prepare young children for learning about formal mathematics. Research data answer key questions regarding the development of numeracy alongside cognitive and linguistic skills, early acquisition of specific math skills, and numeracy of children with atypical language skills. The book also provides practical recommendations for parents and other caregivers as well as implications for future research studies and curriculum design. Included in the coverage: Ways to optimize home numeracy environments. Individual differences in numerical abilities. Cross-cultural comparisons and ways to scaffold young children's mathematical skills. Mathematics and language in the home environment. Center-based and family-based child care. Games and home numeracy practice. Early Childhood Mathematics Skill Development in the Home Environment is an essential resource for researchers, graduate students, and professionals in infancy and early childhood development, child and school psychology, early childhood education, social work, mathematics education, and educational psychology.




Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8


Book Description

Children are already learning at birth, and they develop and learn at a rapid pace in their early years. This provides a critical foundation for lifelong progress, and the adults who provide for the care and the education of young children bear a great responsibility for their health, development, and learning. Despite the fact that they share the same objective - to nurture young children and secure their future success - the various practitioners who contribute to the care and the education of children from birth through age 8 are not acknowledged as a workforce unified by the common knowledge and competencies needed to do their jobs well. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 explores the science of child development, particularly looking at implications for the professionals who work with children. This report examines the current capacities and practices of the workforce, the settings in which they work, the policies and infrastructure that set qualifications and provide professional learning, and the government agencies and other funders who support and oversee these systems. This book then makes recommendations to improve the quality of professional practice and the practice environment for care and education professionals. These detailed recommendations create a blueprint for action that builds on a unifying foundation of child development and early learning, shared knowledge and competencies for care and education professionals, and principles for effective professional learning. Young children thrive and learn best when they have secure, positive relationships with adults who are knowledgeable about how to support their development and learning and are responsive to their individual progress. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 offers guidance on system changes to improve the quality of professional practice, specific actions to improve professional learning systems and workforce development, and research to continue to build the knowledge base in ways that will directly advance and inform future actions. The recommendations of this book provide an opportunity to improve the quality of the care and the education that children receive, and ultimately improve outcomes for children.




Cognitive Foundations for Improving Mathematical Learning


Book Description

The fifth volume in the Mathematical Cognition and Learning series focuses on informal learning environments and other parental influences on numerical cognitive development and formal instructional interventions for improving mathematics learning and performance. The chapters cover the use of numerical play and games for improving foundational number knowledge as well as school math performance, the link between early math abilities and the approximate number system, and how families can help improve the early development of math skills. The book goes on to examine learning trajectories in early mathematics, the role of mathematical language in acquiring numeracy skills, evidence-based assessments of early math skills, approaches for intensifying early mathematics interventions, the use of analogies in mathematics instruction, schema-based diagrams for teaching ratios and proportions, the role of cognitive processes in treating mathematical learning difficulties, and addresses issues associated with intervention fadeout. - Identifies the relative influence of school and family on math learning - Discusses the efficacy of numerical play for improvement in math - Features learning trajectories in math - Examines the role of math language in numeracy skills - Includes assessments of math skills - Explores the role of cognition in treating math-based learning difficulties




Children’s Counting and Concepts of Number


Book Description

For some time now, the study of cognitive development has been far and away the most active discipline within developmental psychology. Although there would be much disagreement as to the exact proportion of papers published in developmental journals that could be considered cognitive, 50% seems like a conservative estimate. Hence, a series of scholary books to be devoted to work in cognitive development is especially appropriate at this time. The Springer Series in Cognitive Development contains two basic types of books, namely, edited collections of original chapters by several authors, and original volumes written by one author or a small group of authors. The flagship for the Springer Series is a serial publication of the "advances" type, carrying the subtitle Progress in Cognitive Development Research. Volumes in the Progress sequence are strongly thematic, in that each is limited to some well-defined domain of cognitive developmental research (e. g. , logical and mathematical development, semantic development). All Progress volumes are edited collections. Editors of such books, upon consultation with the Series Editor, may elect to have their works published either as contributions to the Progress sequence or as separate volumes. All books written by one author or a small group of authors will be published as separate volumes within the series. is being used in the selec A fairly broad definition of cognitive development tion of books for this series.







Mathematics Education in the Early Years


Book Description

This book gives insights in the vivid research area of early mathematics learning. The collection of selected chapters mirrors the research topics presented at the fourth POEM conference in May 2018. Thematically, the volume reflects the importance of this evolving area of research, which has begun to attract attention in the spheres of education and public policy due to increased interest in early years learning. The research foci of the chapters comprise children’s mathematical reasoning, early years mathematics teaching, and the role of parents for children’s mathematical development. The 2018 conference included a wider range of researchers than previous years.




Developing Culturally and Developmentally Appropriate Early STEM Learning Experiences


Book Description

This book informs best practice for enhancing young children’s STEM learning experiences in formal settings such as preschool environments and less formal settings such as home environments. It is the first collection of multidisciplinary and multinational studies on early STEM programs worldwide and presents diverse, authentic, and current STEM-relevant scenarios that address two fundamental problems: where are we in early STEM education? and where shall we go? The book explores factors that influence young learners’ abilities to make informed choices in authentic, problem-based, STEM-relevant scenarios and how those abilities have been identified, documented, and enhanced. Chapters address topics related to curriculum and pedagogy, teacher education and professional development, family environment, and inclusive education from a variety of international settings including Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Mainland China, Singapore, and the United States. Each chapter is based around a research project and describes relevant background information from the research literature, details of how the study was designed, findings from the study, and discussion as to what the findings mean for practical implementation. Developing Culturally and Developmentally Appropriate Early STEM Learning Experiences will be a key resource for researchers and practitioners of early childhood education and care, STEM education, educational psychology, educational research, and educational technology. This book was originally published as a special issue of the journal Early Education and Development.




Promising Practices for Engaging Families in STEM Learning


Book Description

The technology revolution has made it critical for all children to understand science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) or risk being left behind. Promising Practices for Engaging Families in STEM Learning explores how families, schools, and communities can join together to promote student success in STEM by building organized and equitable pathways for family engagement across all of the settings in which students learn – including, schools, early childhood programs, homes, libraries and museums –from the earliest years through adolescence. This thought-provoking monograph includes three main sections with chapters from leading thinkers in the field: > The first section provides the theoretical and research base for the importance of family engagement in STEM and draws out the challenges and opportunities that exist– from the transmission of adults’ anxiety and lack of confidence in their own STEM skills, to inequalities in out-of-school learning opportunities, to biases and misconceptions about the kinds of STEM supports offered by families from low-income and immigrant homes. > The second section builds on this research by presenting success stories, best practices, and approaches to engaging families in STEM. > The final section focuses on how policies at the local, state, and federal level can support the promotion of family engagement in STEM. Taken together, the monograph shows that STEM is a powerful mechanism to connect, engage, and empower families. > STEM provides opportunities for parents and children to spend time together asking fun and meaningful questions that link in-and out-of-school learning. > STEM creates new experiences for families to co-construct and support learning with their children from the earliest years throughout formal schooling and onto college and career pathways. > STEM also presents possibilities for families to build confidence and agency in supporting children’s interests; especially those families who might be marginalized because of their economic or language status, race, or culture.




Mathematics Learning in Early Childhood


Book Description

Early childhood mathematics is vitally important for young children's present and future educational success. Research demonstrates that virtually all young children have the capability to learn and become competent in mathematics. Furthermore, young children enjoy their early informal experiences with mathematics. Unfortunately, many children's potential in mathematics is not fully realized, especially those children who are economically disadvantaged. This is due, in part, to a lack of opportunities to learn mathematics in early childhood settings or through everyday experiences in the home and in their communities. Improvements in early childhood mathematics education can provide young children with the foundation for school success. Relying on a comprehensive review of the research, Mathematics Learning in Early Childhood lays out the critical areas that should be the focus of young children's early mathematics education, explores the extent to which they are currently being incorporated in early childhood settings, and identifies the changes needed to improve the quality of mathematics experiences for young children. This book serves as a call to action to improve the state of early childhood mathematics. It will be especially useful for policy makers and practitioners-those who work directly with children and their families in shaping the policies that affect the education of young children.




Mathematical Learning and Cognition in Early Childhood


Book Description

This book explores mathematical learning and cognition in early childhood from interdisciplinary perspectives, including developmental psychology, neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and education. It examines how infants and young children develop numerical and mathematical skills, why some children struggle to acquire basic abilities, and how parents, caregivers, and early childhood educators can promote early mathematical development. The first section of the book focuses on infancy and toddlerhood with a particular emphasis on the home environment and how parents can foster early mathematical skills to prepare their children for formal schooling. The second section examines topics in preschool and kindergarten, such as the development of counting procedures and principles, the use of mathematics manipulatives in instruction, and the impacts of early intervention. The final part of the book focuses on particular instructional approaches in the elementary school years, such as different additive concepts, schema-based instruction, and methods of division. Chapters analyze the ways children learn to think about, work with, and master the language of mathematical concepts, as well as provide effective approaches to screening and intervention. Included among the topics: The relationship between early gender differences and future mathematical learning and participation. The connection between mathematical and computational thinking. Patterning abilities in young children. Supporting children with learning difficulties and intellectual disabilities. The effectiveness of tablets as elementary mathematics education tools. Mathematical Learning and Cognition in Early Childhood is an essential resource for researchers, graduate students, and professionals in infancy and early childhood development, child and school psychology, neuroscience, mathematics education, educational psychology, and social work.