Early Mathematics Learning and Development – serie

This book conceptualizes the nature of mathematical modeling in the early grades from both teaching and learning perspectives. Mathematical modeling provides a unique opportunity to engage elementary students in the creative process of mathematizing their world.A diverse community of internationally known researchers and practitioners share studies that advance the field with respect to the following themes: The Nature of Mathematical Modeling in the Early GradesContent Knowledge and Pedagogy for Mathematical ModelingStudent Experiences as ModelersTeacher Education and Professional Development in ModelingExperts in the field provide commentaries that extend and connect ideas presented across chapters. This book is an invaluable resource in illustrating what all young children can achieve with mathematical modeling and how we can support teachers and families in this important work.

This book conceptualizes the nature of mathematical modeling in the early grades from both teaching and learning perspectives. Mathematical modeling provides a unique opportunity to engage elementary students in the creative process of mathematizing their world.A diverse community of internationally known researchers and practitioners share studies that advance the field with respect to the following themes: The Nature of Mathematical Modeling in the Early GradesContent Knowledge and Pedagogy for Mathematical ModelingStudent Experiences as ModelersTeacher Education and Professional Development in ModelingExperts in the field provide commentaries that extend and connect ideas presented across chapters. This book is an invaluable resource in illustrating what all young children can achieve with mathematical modeling and how we can support teachers and families in this important work.

This edited book brings together for the first time an international collection of work focused on  two important aspects of any young child’s life – learning mathematics and starting primary or elementary school. The chapters take a variety of perspectives, and integrate these two components in sometimes explicit and sometimes more subtle ways.The key issues and themes explored in this book are:the mathematical and other strengths that all participants in the transition to school bring to this period of a child’s life;the opportunities provided by transition to school for young children’s mathematics learning;the importance of partnerships among adults, and among adults and children, for effective school transitions and mathematics learning and teaching;the critical impact of expectations on their mathematics learning as children start school; the importance of providing children with meaningful, challenging and relevant mathematical experiences throughout transition to school;the entitlement of children and educators to experience assessment and instructional pedagogies that match the strengths of the learners and the teachers; the importance for the aspirations of children, families, communities, educators and educational organisations to be recognised as legitimate and key determinants of actions, experiences and successes in both transition to school and mathematics learning; andthe belief that young children are powerful mathematics learners who can demonstrate this power as they start school.In each chapter, authors reflect on their work in the area of mathematics and transition to school, place that work within the overall context of research in these fields, predict the trajectory of this work in the future, and consider the implications of the work both theoretically and practically.

This book explores how professionals can engage and inspire parents to support their young children’s mathematics learning. Bringing together international experts, researchers and scholars, it proposes a framework for engaging with and supporting parents, including those who are less aware of the crucial development of children’s mathematical skills in the early years. Focusing on mathematics learning from birth to 5 years, the book’s underlying assumption is that it is possible to offer guidance to professionals working with families with young children concerning how to engage and support families in the area of mathematics learning, including those families who seem alienated from education services. Specifically, the respective chapters present a framework for understanding children’s early mathematical development and the important role of families in this regard. They describe effective strategies for engaging families in their children’s mathematics learning, including those who are marginalised and experience multiple disadvantages, so that all families can best support their children’s mathematical learning and their development of positive attitudes towards learning. In closing, hurdles and opportunities within the systems surrounding family engagement are addressed.

This edited book promotes thinking, dialogue, research and theorisation on multiple ways of making connections in mathematics teaching and learning in early childhood education. The book addresses some key challenges in research, policy and practice in early childhood mathematics education. It examines diverse ways for learning experiences to connect young children to mathematics, and the importance of forging connections between mathematics and young children’s lives as key elements in their engagement with mathematics.Each chapter provides research or theoretical provocations and pedagogical implications for connecting children’s lived experiences and ways of learning in mathematics teaching. The chapters are drawn from a range of international authors who raise important ideas within the overall context of current research and consider the theoretical and practical implications of their research.As such, the book advances current thinking on mathematics teaching and learning for children in the early years from birth to eight years with an emphasis on children aged birth to 5 years. It considers the purpose and value in connecting mathematics teaching and learning to children’s lives, and provides provocations for both educators and researchers on the many under-researched and under-represented aspects of early years mathematics teaching and learning.

This book addresses engineering learning in early childhood, spanning ages 3 to 8 years. It explores why engineering experiences are important in young children's overall development and how engineering is a core component of early STEM learning, including how engineering education links and supports children's existing experiences in science, mathematics, and design and technology, both before school and in the early school years.Promoting STEM education across the school years is a key goal of many nations, with the realization that building STEM skills required by societies takes time and needs to begin as early as possible. Despite calls from national and international organisations, the inclusion of engineering-based learning within elementary and primary school programs remains limited in many countries. Engineering experiences for young children in the pre-school or early school years has received almost no attention, even though young children can be considered natural engineers.This book addresses this void by exposing what we know about engineering for young learners, including their capabilities for solving engineering-based problems and the (few) existing programs that are capitalising on their potential.

This book explores how professionals can engage and inspire parents to support their young children’s mathematics learning. Bringing together international experts, researchers and scholars, it proposes a framework for engaging with and supporting parents, including those who are less aware of the crucial development of children’s mathematical skills in the early years. Focusing on mathematics learning from birth to 5 years, the book’s underlying assumption is that it is possible to offer guidance to professionals working with families with young children concerning how to engage and support families in the area of mathematics learning, including those families who seem alienated from education services. Specifically, the respective chapters present a framework for understanding children’s early mathematical development and the important role of families in this regard. They describe effective strategies for engaging families in their children’s mathematics learning, including those who are marginalised and experience multiple disadvantages, so that all families can best support their children’s mathematical learning and their development of positive attitudes towards learning. In closing, hurdles and opportunities within the systems surrounding family engagement are addressed.

This compilation focuses on the theory and conceptualisation of statistics and probability in the early years and the development of young children’s (ages 3-10) understanding of data and chance. It provides a comprehensive overview of cutting-edge international research on the development of young learners’ reasoning about data and chance in formal, informal, and non-formal educational contexts. The authors share insights into young children’s statistical and probabilistic reasoning and provide early childhood educators and researchers with a wealth of illustrative examples, suggestions, and practical strategies on how to address the challenges arising from the introduction of statistical and probabilistic concepts in pre-school and school curricula. This collection will inform practices in research and teaching by providing a detailed account of current best practices, challenges, and issues, and of future trends and directions in early statistical and probabilistic learning worldwide. Further, it will contribute to future research and theory building by addressing theoretical, epistemological, and methodological considerations regarding the design of probability and statistics learning environments for young children.

This book addresses engineering learning in early childhood, spanning ages 3 to 8 years. It explores why engineering experiences are important in young children's overall development and how engineering is a core component of early STEM learning, including how engineering education links and supports children's existing experiences in science, mathematics, and design and technology, both before school and in the early school years.Promoting STEM education across the school years is a key goal of many nations, with the realization that building STEM skills required by societies takes time and needs to begin as early as possible. Despite calls from national and international organisations, the inclusion of engineering-based learning within elementary and primary school programs remains limited in many countries. Engineering experiences for young children in the pre-school or early school years has received almost no attention, even though young children can be considered natural engineers.This book addresses this void by exposing what we know about engineering for young learners, including their capabilities for solving engineering-based problems and the (few) existing programs that are capitalising on their potential.

This compilation focuses on the theory and conceptualisation of statistics and probability in the early years and the development of young children’s (ages 3-10) understanding of data and chance. It provides a comprehensive overview of cutting-edge international research on the development of young learners’ reasoning about data and chance in formal, informal, and non-formal educational contexts. The authors share insights into young children’s statistical and probabilistic reasoning and provide early childhood educators and researchers with a wealth of illustrative examples, suggestions, and practical strategies on how to address the challenges arising from the introduction of statistical and probabilistic concepts in pre-school and school curricula. This collection will inform practices in research and teaching by providing a detailed account of current best practices, challenges, and issues, and of future trends and directions in early statistical and probabilistic learning worldwide. Further, it will contribute to future research and theory building by addressing theoretical, epistemological, and methodological considerations regarding the design of probability and statistics learning environments for young children.

This edited book promotes thinking, dialogue, research and theorisation on multiple ways of making connections in mathematics teaching and learning in early childhood education. The book addresses some key challenges in research, policy and practice in early childhood mathematics education. It examines diverse ways for learning experiences to connect young children to mathematics, and the importance of forging connections between mathematics and young children’s lives as key elements in their engagement with mathematics.Each chapter provides research or theoretical provocations and pedagogical implications for connecting children’s lived experiences and ways of learning in mathematics teaching. The chapters are drawn from a range of international authors who raise important ideas within the overall context of current research and consider the theoretical and practical implications of their research.As such, the book advances current thinking on mathematics teaching and learning for children in the early years from birth to eight years with an emphasis on children aged birth to 5 years. It considers the purpose and value in connecting mathematics teaching and learning to children’s lives, and provides provocations for both educators and researchers on the many under-researched and under-represented aspects of early years mathematics teaching and learning.