Math matters.
We all know math is a big deal from kindergarten to 12th grade, but preschoolers need to start studying it, and not just counting and shapes, but more difficult topics, such as geometry, according to the latest buzz among education leaders.
The good news is these experts suggest early education students often actually like math – I know my son does.
It is now obvious why math matters. Politicians, parents and policy researchers worry about the nation’s relatively weak math and science skills and how that impacts our global competitiveness. But, preschoolers don’t have to worry about economics, instead they can focus on the fun sides of math, as long as it’s taught the correct ways, researchers say.
Over at The Early Ed Watch Blog, Lisa Guernsey has the freshest and some of the most down-to-earth ideas on math for the preschool set, and she offers an important reason why we should care.
“Two years ago, in an influential article in the journal Developmental Psychology, researchers reported that mathematics skills trumped reading skills as one of the best predictors of success in the later school years. As policy makers and educators continue to search for the best ways to close the achievement gap, you can bet that math education for young children will be attracting more and more attention,” -- “Make Way for Morning Math: A Modest Proposal for Lifting Math Achievement,” 11/5/09.
Guernsey doesn’t call for a frenzy of flashcards. Instead, she suggests that parents add math to their daily routines. (Check out her full article, it’s a good read.)
At my house, we counted jellybeans this Halloween and occasionally do math at the breakfast table. Now we are going to ask the kids to count how many cookies mom and dad eat after they go to bed and then calculate the new total. It sounds like we should add some pizza-based fractions.
There is a lot of information about math and early learning. Here are a few reports and commentary to get started: