NAEYC Conference

Preschoolers and ECE teachersas mathematicians:

Playing with early math conceptsthrough games and 'math talk'

Teresa GonczyFriday, Nov 20th, 1-2:30pm

© Teresa Gonczy 2015 – NAEYC National Conference – Orlando, FL

Who am I?

Teresa Gonczy

* Graduate Student studying Early Math Learning

* Owned an early learning center in LA

* Run the @earlymath Twitter community

Who are you?

Teachers – Directors – Researchers – Etc

Preschool – Infant/Toddler - Kindergarten

Math Problem Solving

Let's get into thinking & playing mode! :-)

Math Problem Solving

The Smallest Candy Store Problem

* Take a few minutes to try it out yourself* Then collaborate with 3-4 people

* Write out your combined ideas on paper(document your solutions)

Math Problem Solving

The Smallest Candy Store Problem

* What were some of the strategies you used?

Math Problem Solving

The Smallest Candy Store Problem

* What made this problem interestingor unusual?

Math Problem Solving

The Smallest Candy Store Problem

* How did working on this problem make you feel?

Math Problem Solving

The Smallest Candy Store Problem

* How could you modify or adapt the probleminto one that your students could work on?

Math Problem Solving

Exercises versus Problems

* one right answer * multiple solutions* memorizing rules * figuring it out * working alone * collaborating

* doing it in head * using materials * only use numbers * use shapes, etc

Math Problem Solving

* Guess & check* Make a list/table

* Look for a pattern* Draw a picture/model

* Solve a simpler problem* Work backwards

* Act it out/use manipulatives* Change your point of view

* Try special cases

Why Math in ECE?

Research shows that early math skills are just as predictive, and possibly more predictive, of later

academic success than early literacy skills.

And yet most preschool classrooms devote much more time to literacy than to math.

Duncan, G.J., Dowsett, C.J., Claessens, A., Magnuson, K., Huston, A.C., Klebanov, P., Pagani, L.S., Feinstein, L., Engel, M., Brooks-Gunn, J., Sexton, H., Duckworth, K., and Japel, C. (2007). School readiness and later achievement. Developmental Psychology, 43(6).

NCTM & NAEYC Joint Position Statement Recommendations

4) Use curriculum and teaching practices that strengthen children's problem solving and reasoning processes

as well as representing, communicating, and connecting math ideas

6) Provide for children's deep and sustained interaction with key mathematical ideas

8) Provide ample time, materials, and teacher support for children to engage in play, a context in which they explore

and manipulate mathematical ideas with keen interest

Why Early Math Games?

Early math isn't about worksheets or flashcards.

It is seeing patterns in the world, playing games, building with blocks, and 'talking math'.

Why Early Math Games?

Math games are fun and effective!

Researchers found that the more board games children played, the better they performed on

various early math tasks.

Ramani GB and Siegler RS. 2008. Promoting broad and stable improvements in low-income children’s numerical knowledge through playing with number board games. Child Development 79(2):375-394 - See more at: http://www.parentingscience.com/preschool-board-game-math.html#sthash.xvbOeAdk.dpuf

Math Games

Let's look at some math game ideas.

Think about...* what specific math skills are being developed?

* what non-math skills are being developed?* how could you create this game in your

classroom with basic materials?

Math Games

Image and activities from http://kidsactivitiesblog.com/6415/early-math-activities-2

Math Games

Image and activities from http://kidsactivitiesblog.com/6415/early-math-activities-2

Math Games

Think about...* what specific math skills are being developed?

* what non-math skills are being developed?* how could you create this game in your

classroom with basic materials?

Math Games

What does the research say aboutsome very effective math games?

Math Games Research

Early math skill:Moving from logarithmic thinking

to linear thinking

Ramani GB and Siegler RS. 2008. Promoting broad and stable improvements in low-income children’s numerical knowledge through playing with number board games. Child Development 79(2):375-394 - See more at: http://www.parentingscience.com/preschool-board-game-math.html#sthash.xvbOeAdk.dpuf

Math Games Research

The Great Race Game

Ramani GB and Siegler RS. 2008. Promoting broad and stable improvements in low-income children’s numerical knowledge through playing with number board games. Child Development 79(2):375-394 - See more at: http://www.parentingscience.com/preschool-board-game-math.html#sthash.xvbOeAdk.dpuf

Math Games Research

Moving from logarithmic thinkingto linear thinking -

The Great Race Game

The Great Race Game is... * not color based* not circular track

* straight track with evenly-spaced numbers

Siegler, R. S. & Ramani, G. B. (2009). Playing linear number board games but not circular ones improves low-income preschoolers’ numerical understanding. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101, 545-560.

Math Games ResearchMoving from logarithmic thinking

to linear thinking -The Great Race Game

How you count matters!Count on!

“You were on 4. You spun to move two more spaces. 4... 5... 6

Now you're on 6.”

Laski EV and Siegler RS. 2014. Learning from number board games: You learn what you encode. Dev Psychol. 50(3):853-64. - See more at: http://www.parentingscience.com/preschool-math-games.html#sthash.G1eVH9KD.dpuf

Math Games Research

Moving from logarithmic thinkingto linear thinking -

The Great Race Game

You can create in your classroom -Individualize for each student and their interests

Laski EV and Siegler RS. 2014. Learning from number board games: You learn what you encode. Dev Psychol. 50(3):853-64. - See more at: http://www.parentingscience.com/preschool-math-games.html#sthash.G1eVH9KD.dpuf

Math Games Research

Subitizing & the Approximate Number System

Daniel C. Hyde, Saeeda Khanum, Elizabeth S. Spelke. Brief non-symbolic, approximate number practice enhances subsequent exact symbolic arithmetic in children. Cognition, 2014; 131 (1): 92 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2013.12.007

Math Games Research

Daniel C. Hyde, Saeeda Khanum, Elizabeth S. Spelke. Brief non-symbolic, approximate number practice enhances subsequent exact symbolic arithmetic in children. Cognition, 2014; 131 (1): 92 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2013.12.007

Math Games Research

Subitizing & the Approximate Number System -

* Saying how many after a quick showing* Comparing two quantities

Without Counting!

Daniel C. Hyde, Saeeda Khanum, Elizabeth S. Spelke. Brief non-symbolic, approximate number practice enhances subsequent exact symbolic arithmetic in children. Cognition, 2014; 131 (1): 92 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2013.12.007

Math Games Research

Subitizing & the Approximate Number System -

In the classroom...* dots on paper plates

* objects hidden by cloth

Daniel C. Hyde, Saeeda Khanum, Elizabeth S. Spelke. Brief non-symbolic, approximate number practice enhances subsequent exact symbolic arithmetic in children. Cognition, 2014; 131 (1): 92 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2013.12.007

Math Games Research

Spatial Training

Yi Ling Cheng, Kelly S. Mix. Spatial Training Improves Children's Mathematics Ability. Journal of Cognition and Development, 2012; 120919075341007 DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2012.725186

Math Games Research

Spatial Training

Yi Ling Cheng, Kelly S. Mix. Spatial Training Improves Children's Mathematics Ability. Journal of Cognition and Development, 2012; 120919075341007 DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2012.725186

Math Games Research

Spatial Training -* Blocks & tangram shapes

* Mental rotation* Fitting blocks into shapes

* Playing with puzzles

Yi Ling Cheng, Kelly S. Mix. Spatial Training Improves Children's Mathematics Ability. Journal of Cognition and Development, 2012; 120919075341007 DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2012.725186

Math Games Research

Spatial Training -Using spatial language (in, on, above, etc)

is also very important!

Pruden SM, Levine SC and Huttenlocher J. 2011. Children's spatial thinking: Does talk about the aptial world matter? Developmental Science (14): 1417-1430. - See more at: http://www.parentingscience.com/spatial-intelligence.html#sthash.8R3JvZfG.dpuf

Math Talk Research

Not only spatial talk -Lots of different types of

math talk are helpful

Pruden SM, Levine SC and Huttenlocher J. 2011. Children's spatial thinking: Does talk about the aptial world matter? Developmental Science (14): 1417-1430. - See more at: http://www.parentingscience.com/spatial-intelligence.html#sthash.8R3JvZfG.dpuf

Math Talk Research

Math talk from preschool teachersis associated with the growth ofpreschoolers' math knowledge

Klibanoff, R.S., Levine, S.C., Huttenlocher, J., Vasilyeva, M., & Hedges, L.V. (2006). Preschool Children's Mathematical Knowledge: The Effect of Teacher "Math Talk". Developmental Psychology 42-1, 59-69.

Math Talk Research

What is math talk?

Klibanoff, R.S., Levine, S.C., Huttenlocher, J., Vasilyeva, M., & Hedges, L.V. (2006). Preschool Children's Mathematical Knowledge: The Effect of Teacher "Math Talk". Developmental Psychology 42-1, 59-69.

Math Talk ResearchWhat is math talk?

* counting (with object names)* cardinality (how many in a set)

* spatial (in – on – over – etc) & shapes* comparisons (same – different)

* basic calculations (one and another is two)* fractions ('half of a cookie')

* equivalence and non-equivalence* ordering items ('first', 'next', 'last')

* recognizing number symbols Klibanoff, R.S., Levine, S.C., Huttenlocher, J., Vasilyeva, M., & Hedges, L.V. (2006). Preschool Children's Mathematical Knowledge: The Effect of Teacher "Math Talk". Developmental Psychology 42-1, 59-69.

Research into Classroom

So how do we take what the research saysand bring it into our classrooms?

Let's Create!

We don't need to buy games!We can create our own games with

basic materials,and we can customize the games

to our curriculum topics andour students' interests.

Let's Create!* Decide on a theme

(curriculum topic, student interest, etc)

* Choose a type of game & make a prototype(linear race game, subitizing & ANS,spatial training, or your own idea!)

* Write out 3 possible 'math talk' questionsyou could ask or sentences you could say

with your children

Let's Create!

Presentation of Games

Conclusion

* I used to think... Now I think...

* What new idea or activity are you going to take into your classroom next week?

Contact

Teresa Gonczyteresaeg@gmail.comTwitter @earlymath

Slides will be availableon my blog at

www.teresaeg.com/blog