Early Childhood - Connecticut State Department of Education

Mathematics Chapter 6
CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
From ages 3 through 6, children begin to solve problems
by moving and experimenting with real objects.
Mathematics is everywhere and children are intensely
interested in concepts such as number, size and
comparison. “They are self-motivated to investigate
patterns, shapes, measurement, the meaning of numbers,
and how numbers work, but they need assistance to
bring these ideas to an explicit level of awareness. Such
awareness is an essential component of mathematical
knowledge” (Clements and Sarama, 2001).
In their search for meaning children naturally
explore and solve, communicate and connect ideas
using mathematics. Early childhood teachers should
capitalize on these interests by providing curriculum
that challenges and engages children. As noted in
earlier sections, curriculum is more than activities;
it is developed with thoughtful regard to children’s
needs and abilities through the selection of appropriate
performance standards, processes, experiences and
environments for the purpose of helping children learn.
Good early childhood mathematical learning
experiences require:
• skillful adults to provide guidance, intervention
and scaffolding when needed;
• interactions with teachers and peers;
• time to explore, investigate, manipulate, observe,
discover and reflect;
• opportunities for children to express themselves,
listen, ask for clarification and practice
new skills;
• active, hands-on experiences; and
• opportunities to reorganize, reinvent and
represent their learning (Wortham, 2002).
Mathematical experiences provide children
with opportunities to problem solve rather than merely
engage in activities. An important goal of mathematical
curriculum planning is for children to learn to make
sense of the information they have and to develop their
abilities to use this knowledge in future projects (Copley,
2000).
Research shows that differences in math achievement
in later school years may be caused, in part, by differences
in young children’s informal math knowledge
before they enter school. Equity in math opportunities
is a crucial concern (Clements and Sarama, 2001). The
challenge is to provide for all children a mathematical
curriculum that is both broad and deep.
Mathematics curriculum for the pre-kindergarten
years is not elementary curriculum watered down.
Rather, it is a planned, systematic approach to developing
broad concepts, integrating experiences, and developing
attitudes and dispositions around problem solv-
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ing and mathematical content. To be effective, it must
not be a collection of unrelated activities, nor should it
be based on an assumption that children will learn what
they need merely through play experiences.
Effective mathematics programs include intentionally
organized learning experiences that build children’s
understanding over time. Depth is best achieved
when content and process are considered with equal
weight. The following standards for pre-kindergarten
through Grade 2 are endorsed by the National Council
of Teachers of Mathematics.
Process Standards
• problem solving
• reasoning
• communicating
• connecting
• representing
Content Standards
• number sense and operations
• measurement
• geometry
• algebra
• data analysis and probability
Opportunities for exploration in each of
the concepts is not enough. Teachers must supply
children with mathematical language, engage children
in questioning and conversation, and focus their
exploration. To do this successfully teachers must know
which concepts and relationships the children are ready
and able to explore (Bredekamp & Rosengrant, 1995).
Connecticut standards for mathematics for preschool and
the Connecticut Mathematics Curriculum Framework,
Grades PreK-12, are consistent with these concepts.
Preschool Performance Standards
• Demonstrate understanding of one-to-one
correspondence while counting.
• Show curiosity and independent interest in
number-related activities.
• Show spatial awareness by demonstrating
an understanding of position and order.
• Use common instruments to measure
things.
• Recognize simple patterns and duplicate or
extend them.
• Create and duplicate patterns and shapes
using a variety of materials.
• Estimate and verify the number of objects.