Chapter 7: Learning And Teaching Early And Elementary Mathematics

Today’s early childhood and elementary teachers work with more diverse students than ever before. Further, they have received little instructional support for the subject many are least prepared to teach—mathematics. Additional pressure to teach mathematics has emerged from recent research indicating that early mathematics learning is foundational for later academic success—possibly equal to or even more so than early learning of literacy.

Fortunately, recent research and development projects have also created and validated tools for teaching mathematics. In this chapter, we draw implications from research that can help early and elementary teachers both be more effective and find more enjoyment in teaching mathematics. We organize these lessons into three sections.