Children are surprisingly motivated and able to engage in mathematical thinking and problem-solving before they begin formal schooling, and are thought to understand some mathematical concepts intuitively from birth.
In this webinar, early childhood researcher Dr Erica Zippert talks about how to support children to explore and develop their understanding of foundational maths skills involving numeracy, patterns, and spatial understanding. By being aware of the foundational maths skills that children are ready to learn and demonstrate in early childhood, teachers can recognise when children are practising those skills on their own during play, and intentionally design and incorporate ways to support and develop these skills into the curriculum.
Dr Erica Zippert is an education researcher, evaluator, consultant, and trainer. Her PhD from the University of Maryland explored children’s early mathematical learning and experiences. She is currently Program Evaluator at Port Discovery Children’s Museum in Baltimore, Maryland.