It’s natural to think that mathematics is primarily about numbers. In school, we first learn how to recite numbers and then spend considerable time writing them down and manipulating them on paper. Of course, numerals (the written notation for numbers), along with other symbols, are critical for communicating ideas about quantities and expressing how they relate to each other.
But what appears to be lost in conversations about school mathematics, however, is that mathematics is primarily about thinking.
Rather than debating whether “discovery learning” or “the basics” are most important for children, more attention is needed to support the development of children’s thinking about quantities and space.
A considerable amount of research now shows that children’s success in school depends on the extent to which parents and educators encourage them to think mathematically in the years before they arrive there.
It is possible – necessary, even – to focus on children’s thinking about numeracy in the early years so they begin their formal education on the right foot.
A good read that includes some great advice and strategies for parents.
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