Problem: Major findings from the National Research Council's (NRC, 2009) report entitled, Early Childhood Mathematics: Pathways to Excellence and Equity are summarized. The report recommends that early childhood programs use a curriculum with a clear focus on math. The NRC found that early math ability is a strong predictor of school success and a math achievement gap already exists at entrance to kindergarten. Research shows that very little focused math instruction occurs in preschool and what occurs is of low quality, such as teachers spending extended periods of time "doing the calendar" or eliciting what children already know (e.g., repeatedly reciting the number sequence or naming the most common shapes). The report calls for preschool programs to provide instruction in which math is the primary focus, instead of the usual approach in which math is part of an integrated curriculum.
How much, if any, time is spent on the calendar in classrooms observed in or worked in? If math is only taught in a whole-group session, think about the effectiveness of the instruction. Discuss the impact the environment has on children's active involvement in learning mathematics and science.
How would a respond to educators who reject the notion of more focused, teacher-guided mathematics instruction? What would be a solution to a teacher who insists, "We do math everywhere."
How are the feeling about math as the primary focus of a lesson?