Tech Informed Early Childhood Mathematics

What It Is: Real-world math helps young learners connect what they learn in class to their daily lives. Instead of solving problems with no meaning, students explore math through activities they can see and do. Real-world learning allows children to understand that math is all around them, whether they are at home or school Benefits: When math feels real, students become more excited and confident in their learning. It helps them see that math has a purpose beyond worksheets and tests. Real-world math encourages problem-solving, builds critical thinking, and gives children a sense of accomplishment when they use math to make sense of the world. It also makes learning more inclusive because every child can relate to real-life situations. Examples in the Classroom: Teachers can make math real for students in many ways. During a lesson on measurement, students can measure classroom items or ingredients while cooking. In a money unit, they can role-play as shoppers using play coins and b...

What Are Math Choice Boards? A math choice board is a grid of activities that all connect to the same math goal. For example, during a  counting lesson , students might choose to count objects around the room, make a number collage, or play a counting game. Choice boards build conceptual understanding, fluency, and application, making math more meaningful and creative.  Benefits of Choice Boards: Choice boards increase engagement, support different learners, and promote higher-order thinking. Students can choose tasks that challenge them at the right level while exploring math in new ways. They also encourage collaboration when students share their work and strategies with peers. Koehler, Laura, and Kristin Sammon. “ The Benefits of Using Choice Boards in Math .” Edutopia , George Lucas Educational Foundation, 7 Mar. 2024, https://www.edutopia.org/article/math-choice-boards-benefits/

  What Are Math Talks? A Math Talk is typically a 10-minute activity designed to prompt multiple strategies and give students opportunities to reason about relationships among numbers and make connections in math. According to hand2mind, during a Math Talk the teacher poses a problem and invites students to share different approaches without immediately judging correctness.  Math Talks shift the classroom focus away from just finding the correct answer, toward exploring how students think and why strategies work. When students explain their reasoning, they build deeper conceptual understanding, practice mathematical vocabulary, and see that there’s more than one way to solve a problem. How Teachers Can Use Math Talks: Begin with an open-ended or low-floor problem that allows multiple entry points. Give students think time, then invite them to share strategies and explanations. Use guiding questions such as “Why did you do it that way?” or “Can someone show another method?” Dur...

  The Importance of Parent Involvement Parent involvement plays a vital role in helping students succeed in math. When parents stay engaged in their child’s education, students tend to perform better, feel more confident, and show greater interest in learning.  Active parent participation can take many forms, such as helping with homework, attending classroom events, or simply showing an interest in what their child is learning. When families and teachers work together, students see that math is not just a school subject but an important part of everyday life. Encourage parents to talk about math at home or engage in small real-life math tasks, such as cooking measurements or counting change, helps students strengthen their understanding beyond the classroom. Strong communication is key to meaningful family involvement. Teachers can share quick updates, resources, or simple activities that help parents reinforce classroom learning. When parents understand how math is being ta...

  What is Differentiated Instruction? Differentiated instruction means designing lessons so that students with different levels of readiness, interests, and learning styles can all access the same mathematics content. Instead of teaching one way and hoping everyone keeps up, teachers plan multiple entry points, strategies, and supports so every student can grow and engage. Strategies : Teachers can use several strategies to make math lessons more inclusive and effective. One common method is to design open-ended tasks that allow for multiple entry points and solution paths. For example, asking students to find all possible ways to make a number or design a pattern invites creativity and critical thinking at different skill levels. Another approach is tiered assignments, where students work on tasks of varying complexity but share the same learning target. Flexible grouping also supports differentiation by allowing students to collaborate with different peers based on interests...

Connecting Math and Storytelling Children’s literature can be an effective tool for making math more engaging and relatable. By connecting math concepts to stories, students are able to visualize and understand abstract ideas in meaningful ways. Instead of presenting numbers and operations in isolation, teachers can use storybooks to create context and emotion around mathematical thinking. As Furner (2018) explains, when math is introduced through literature, students are more likely to make personal connections, feel less anxious, and develop a more positive attitude toward problem-solving. Benefits: Integrating children’s books into math instruction benefits both academic and emotional development. Stories help students see math as something they use every day, counting, measuring, comparing, or finding patterns. Literature encourages curiosity and discussion, giving students opportunities to explain their reasoning and learn from others. According to Furner (2018), this approach hel...

What Are Math Centers? Math centers are small learning stations where students rotate through different activities that target specific math skills. Each center provides a unique learning experience; some might involve hands-on manipulatives, while others include technology, games, or problem-solving tasks. Centers allow students to move, collaborate, and engage with math in a more active and meaningful way. Math centers turn math into an interactive experience rather than a sit-and-listen lesson. Students take ownership of their learning, work at their own pace, and explore math through play and exploration. According to Edutopia (2024), offering students choice and interest-based tasks increases motivation and confidence. Centers also make differentiation easier; students can practice, extend, or apply skills depending on their needs. How to Use Math Centers in the Classroom: Math centers work best when they include a mix of structured and flexible activities that meet differen...

Technology has become an important tool for teaching and learning math. When used the right way, it helps children see math ideas more clearly and interact with them in new ways. Studies show that technology helps young children learn math when it makes ideas visible and is used with teacher guidance. The National Association for the Education of Young Children states that technology should support active, social, and developmentally appropriate learning. It should be used to enhance hands-on learning, not replace it. Benefits of Virtual Manipulatives: A large study of 66 research projects found that using virtual manipulatives such as digital pattern blocks, ten frames, and base-ten blocks has a positive effect on math learning (Moyer-Packenham & Westenskow, 2013). These tools give students instant feedback and let them move and rearrange shapes or numbers to look for patterns. For example, students can compose and decompose numbers to make ten or build shapes and talk about symme...

What is Hands-On Learning?  Hands-on learning, also known as experiential learning, means students are actively doing, touching, and exploring materials to understand new ideas. Instead of simply listening or watching, they solve problems and test ideas through physical interaction. In mathematics, this might involve counting with cubes, building shapes, or measuring real objects.  Rather than memorizing formulas, students discover how math works by experimenting and observing. This approach helps them connect abstract concepts to real experiences, allowing them to truly understand how and why something works. When students build, count, measure, and manipulate objects, they gain a deeper sense of what math looks and feels like in action. Benefits of Hands-On Learning: Research from Structural Learning highlights several major benefits. Students who engage in hands-on learning retain information longer and show higher engagement levels because they are part of the learning pro...

  Understanding Growth Mindset A growth mindset is the belief that intelligence and ability can be developed through effort, effective strategies, and support (Dweck, 2006). This idea applies not only in the classroom but also in everyday life. Whether a child is learning multiplication, practicing sports, or solving real-world problems, a growth mindset helps them understand that success comes from persistence and learning from mistakes. When students and adults believe their abilities can grow, they approach challenges with confidence instead of fear. What Research Tells Us: Carol Dweck (2006) discovered that students with a growth mindset outperform those with a fixed mindset because they see effort as part of success, not a sign of failure. Jo Boaler (2016) found similar results in math education; students who value mistakes, try multiple strategies, and work collaboratively achieve higher success and confidence. These studies indicate that mindset affects how people perform i...