Big Math for Little Kids

Big Math for Little Kids, a comprehensive program for 4- and 5-year-olds, develops and expands on the mathe- matics that children know and are capable of doing. The program uses activities and stories to develop ideas about number, shape, pattern, logical reasoning, measurement, operations on numbers, and space. The activities intro- duce the mathematical ideas in a coherent, carefully sequenced fashion, and are designed to promote curiosity and excitement about learning and doing mathematics. The program produces playful but purposeful learning of deep mathematical ideas, and encourages children to think about and express their mathematical thinking. Throughout the program, great emphasis is placed on the development of mathematical and mathematics-related language. Our observations suggest two broad questions for future research: What kinds of competence can children develop in the context of a rich mathematics environment? In what ways can mathematics learning promote language and literacy?

[1]  Jerry West,et al.  America's Kindergartners: Findings from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99, Fall 1998. , 2000 .

[2]  Peter Bryant,et al.  Children Doing Mathematics , 1996 .

[3]  H. Ginsburg,et al.  Everyday mathematical knowledge: Asking young children what is developmentally appropriate. , 2001 .

[4]  J. Piaget.  The Child's Conception of Number , 1953 .

[5]  Gary Natriello,et al.  Schooling Disadvantaged Children: Racing Against Catastrophe , 1990 .

[6]  Carol Aubrey,et al.  An Investigation of the Mathematical Knowledge and Competencies which Young Children Bring into School , 1993 .

[7]  S. Engel.  Thought and Language , 1964 .

[8]  L. Vygotsky.  Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes: Harvard University Press , 1978 .

[9]  David C. Geary,et al.  Children's Mathematical Development: Research and Practical Applications , 1996 .

[10]  Juanita V. Copley.  Mathematics in the Early Years , 1999 .

[11]  Prentice Starkey,et al.  The Development of Children's Mathematical Thinking: Connecting Research with Practice. , 1998 .

[12]  Seymour Papert,et al.  Mindstorms: Children, Computers, and Powerful Ideas , 1981 .

[13]  Julie Sarama,et al.  Engaging Young Children in Mathematics: Standards for Early Childhood Mathematics Education. Studies in Mathematical Thinking and Learning Series. , 2003 .

[14]  F. J. Langdon,et al.  The Child's Conception of Space , 1967 .

[15]  Alexander K. Zvonkin.  Mathematics for Little Ones. , 1992 .