Mathematics for Young Children: A Literature Review

The review of research on mathematics learning of children aged 3–8 years is presented in two reports. These are part of the NCCA’s Research Report Series (ISSN 1649–3362). This first report (Research Report No. 17) focuses on theoretical aspects underpinning the development of mathematics education for young children. A second report (Research Report No. 18) is concerned with related pedagogical implications.

Proceedings of the 1st UPY International Conference on Education and Social Science (UPINCESS 2022), 2022

Mathematics is an ability that is used in everyday life in all aspects of age. The competence of mathematical abilities is important for every individual so that it must be introduced from an early age. This study aims to describe empirically early childhood mathematics learning in Realistic Mathematical Education (RME). This research is a qualitative research with a literature study approach. The findings show that: Mathematical ability is the main thing as a provision to live daily life so that mathematics must be introduced from an early age. Mathematics is closely related to the ability to think and is indispensable in all daily activities. In building mathematical knowledge in children, learning mathematics to be taught should be done in a fun way and using the simplest things that are close to the child's life and are realistic. Realistic Mathematical Education is a practical solution in making mathematics learning more meaningful, engaging and fun. In the application of Realistic Mathematical Education, it is not only a provision in carrying out all activities in life but also can improve children's skills in solving problems and thinking critically. Furthermore, the correct mastery of mathematical concepts from an early age will contribute optimally to learning mathematics at higher levels of education.

International Journal of Development Research, 2022

This article presents a study on the challenges in teaching mathematics in early childhood education. The study was based on the qualitative, descriptive with non-experimental design. Childhood is a singular stage of human development, where the child develops positive attitudes when he comes into contact with mathematics, even if he maintains contact only with previous knowledge in the family environment and social life. Matematization plays a central role in the development of proficiency, matematization processes must permeate all learning and teaching activities. It is emphasized that teachers should also be based on mathematical foundations in order to effectively facilitate progress in the development of children. The teacher uses the game as a discovery learning approach.

Mathematics Education Research Journal, 2005

In the last four years there have been a number of calls for research into many aspects of early childhood mathematics education. As well, there has been an unprecedented increase in Australasian research in this field. How have these two factors matched? That is, are mathematics education researchers studying the aspects of the field that have been identified for further research? This paper provides the beginnings of a discussion around this question by highlighting particular Australasian early childhood mathematics education research endeavours and linking them to recent statements calling for further research in the field.

Journal of Education and Learning (EduLearn), 2020

This research was conducted due to the importance value of mathematics for early childhood and the fact some researches showed the early childhood education (ECE) teachers' low level of basic mathematical knowledge, especially the one related to childhood developmental stages. The participants of this research were 35 ECE teachers from one of the cities in West Java province with teaching experience approximately ten years. In this research, 30 minutes was given to the participants to solve 20 questions, which tested teachers' knowledge related to verbal counting sequence, counting, the ordinal number of words, addition/subtraction, divisions of sets, written number symbols, and words. Besides, the interview was conducted to get more indepth information from the participants. The quantitative descriptive analysis was used to identify the frequency, percentage, mean value, and standard deviation. The result of the research showed that ECE teachers had limited knowledge of children's mathematical development. It was revealed by the result of the mean value of the teachers' responses, which were only 33% correct answers and 16% no idea answers. This result can become input for the stakeholders to hold a professional development program which aims to increase the quality of ECE teachers related to mathematical development activity.

Nordisk barnehageforskning

PsycEXTRA Dataset, 2000

Effective mathematics education for young children (approximately ages 3 to 5) seems to hold great promise for improving later achievement, particularly in low-SES students who are at risk of inferior education from preschool onwards. Yet there is limited understanding of what preschool and kindergarten mathematics education entails and what is required to implement it effectively. This paper attempts to provide insight into three topics central to understanding and improving early childhood mathematics education in the United States. First, we examine young children's mathematical abilities. Cognitive research shows that young children develop an extensive everyday mathematics and are capable of learning more and deeper mathematics than usually assumed. The second topic is the content and components of early childhood mathematics education. We show that the content of mathematics for young children is wide-ranging (number and operations, shape, space, measurement, and pattern) and sometimes abstract. It involves processes of thinking as well as skills and rote memory. Components of early childhood mathematics education range from play to organized curriculum (several research based programs are now available) and intentional teaching. Third, we consider early childhood educators' readiness to teach mathematics. Unfortunately, the typical situation is that they are poorly trained to teach the subject, are afraid of it, feel it is not important to teach, and typically teach it badly or not at all. Finally, we conclude with policy suggestions. The most urgent need is to improve and support both pre-service and in-service teacher training.

Jurnal obsesi : jurnal pendidikan anak usia dini, 2023

This research was motivated by the absence of a profile of early childhood mathematics learning. This research aims to analyse the profile of teacher performance in relation to early childhood mathematics learning in Pontianak city. The research method used was phenomenological research method. The data collection technique was conducted with a questionnaire survey. The results of the survey were explored with focus group discussions and in-depth interviews to explore the possibilities of what teachers do. The 29 early childhood respondents focused on early childhood mathematics learning profiles, early childhood learning of seriation and addition, and learning of big-small, many-little, long-short and highlow concepts. The results of this research can identify learning tendencies centred on behaviourist perspectives in early childhood mathematics learning. A profile of early childhood mathematics learning is needed so that learning in early childhood education institutions can be achieved more optimally.

The Proceedings of the 12th International Congress on Mathematical Education, 2015

At the present time, research into mathematics education in the early years is receiving much attention internationally. There is much debate about whether mathematics teaching/learning in the early years should be about supporting children to develop their own interests or to prepare them for school. Alongside this debate is interesting research which shows young children's capabilities on working abstractly with a range of mathematical topics, previously considered too advanced. This topic study group of ICME 12 aimed to provide a forum for exchanging insights in early mathematical learning. While much research has focused on children's learning of number, a growing body of work examines the learning of geometry, measurement and other mathematical topics in preschool. TSG 1 provided a forum for sharing this work and exploring how the learning of these aspects of mathematics in pre-school can be strengthened. It also supported discussion of the preschool teacher education across different countries.

AIP Conference Proceedings 2595, 060005, 2023

The purpose of this research was to identify math topics and methods in Islamic kindergartens or Raudhatul Athfal in Indonesia. This study used a qualitative exploration method, with data collected through focus group discussions and reflective essays. Twenty-two Islamic kindergarten teachers from South Sumatra and East Java, Indonesia, participated in the research. The findings of this study indicated that the math topics taught by Islamic kindergarten teachers adhered to the KMA 792 2018 criteria for implementing math teaching and learning in Islamic kindergarten. They include comprehending the concept of numbers, perceiving patterns and relationships, comprehending geometry and spatial concepts, becoming acquainted with measures, and becoming acquainted with data collecting and presentation. While teaching approaches included the following: 1) utilizing a variety of methodologies; 2) using children's toys and games; 3) activating the child's psychomotor; and 4) developing children's problem-solving skills. The researchers projected that because the learning topics and instructional methods were varied and innovative, learners should be encouraged to learn and master mathematics. The researchers advocate for the continued development of comprehensive math topics and innovative math methods at the higher educational level to sustain children's interest in math and, as a result, to improve the country's national PISA score and ranking.

In the last four years there have been a number of calls for research into many aspects of early childhood mathematics education. As well, there has been an unprecedented increase in Australasian research in this field. How have these two factors matched? That is, are mathematics education researchers studying the aspects of the field that have been identified for further research? This paper provides the beginnings of a discussion around this question by highlighting particular Australasian early childhood mathematics education research endeavours and linking them to recent statements calling for further research in the field.

Journal für Mathematik-Didaktik, 2012

This study explores early childhood mathematics education research from 2000 to 2013 in major journals of mathematics education and prior CERME-Early Years Mathematics papers. The results unfolded that the majority of studies were from English- speaking countries in the journals whereas the majority of CERME papers were from non-English speaking countries. Moreover, the number of empirical articles was superior to other research types. In addition, there was a distinction in terms of popular research topics among the journals and CERME papers. Furthermore, studying with children was popular. An evaluation of results indicated that there should be more papers from various countries, research type, research topic, and research sample to minimize the gap in this field. Keywords: early childhood mathematics education, research trend, systematic review

Early Childhood Education Journal, 2011

Mathematics education is a critical part of the curriculum for students worldwide. The foundation for understanding mathematical concepts related to number sense begins early in life, and early childhood classrooms can provide the seeds for mathematical skills that will be needed later in life. In this article, the authors make a case for meaningful and developmentally appropriate mathematics experiences for young children in diverse early learning settings. Instructional and curricular methods inspired by the Reggio Emilia Approach are described as effective ways to teach number concepts to young children from preschool through primary age. Strategies for teachers of young learners are presented in order to strengthen the mathematics curriculum in contemporary early learning settings. The authors' analysis and recommendations are informed by their extensive experiences including studies in Reggio Emilia early childhood settings (infant toddler, preschool, and primary schools) and their work in early childhood teacher education at their respective universities. Keywords Reggio Emilia Á Mathematics Á Number sense The Importance of Mathematics in Early Childhood Settings Early childhood settings should provide research-based curriculum and instructional practices that begin to build a foundation for the understanding of mathematical concepts. According to Clements (2001), there are four reasons for intentionally teaching mathematics to preschool children: (1) current early childhood curriculum is very limited in

Springer eBooks, 2018

Each volume in the series presents state-of-the art research on a particular topic in mathematics education and reflects the international debate as broadly as possible, while also incorporating insights into lesser-known areas of the discussion. Each volume is based on the discussions and presentations during the ICME-13 Congress and includes the best papers from one of the ICME-13 Topical Study Groups or Discussion Groups.