Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Early Childhood Mathematics Education: Reflections and Moving Forward

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Contemporary Research and Perspectives on Early Childhood Mathematics Education

Part of the book series: ICME-13 Monographs ((ICME13Mo))

  • 2106 Accesses

Abstract

This book brings together creative and insightful current research studies on teaching and learning mathematics in early childhood by scholars from different parts of the world. In this chapter we reflect on this work and discuss the major insights, conclusions, implications and future research directions for early childhood mathematics education. We focus on each of the five key themes of the book: pattern and structure, number sense, embodied action and context, technology and early childhood educators’ professional issues and education.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Anderson, A., & Anderson, J. (2018). Math-in-context: The types of math preschoolers ‘do’ at home. In I. Elia, J. Mulligan, A. Anderson, A. Baccaglini-Frank & C. Benz (Eds.), Contemporary research and perspectives on early childhood mathematics education (this volume).

    Google Scholar 

  • Baccaglini-Frank, A. (2018). What schemes do preschoolers’ develop when using multi-touch applications to foster number sense (and why)? In I. Elia, J. Mulligan, A. Anderson, A. Baccaglini-Frank & C. Benz (Eds.), Contemporary research and perspectives on early childhood mathematics education (this volume).

    Google Scholar 

  • Bojorque, G., Torbeyns, J., Hannula-Sormunen, M. M., Van Nijlen D., & Verschaffel, L. (2018). Ecuadorian kindergartners’ spontaneous focusing on numerosity development: Contribution of numerical abilities and quality of mathematics education. In I. Elia, J. Mulligan, A. Anderson, A. Baccaglini-Frank & C. Benz (Eds.), Contemporary research and perspectives on early childhood mathematics education (this volume).

    Google Scholar 

  • Bruns, J., Eichen, L., & Blömeke, S. (2016, July). Preschool teachers’ mathematics-related competencies. Paper presented at the 13th International Congress on Mathematical Education, Hamburg, Germany.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cheeseman, J., Benz, C., & Pullen, Y. (2018). Number sense: The impact of a measurement-focused program on young children’s number learning. In I. Elia, J. Mulligan, A. Anderson, A. Baccaglini-Frank & C. Benz (Eds.), Contemporary research and perspectives on early childhood mathematics education (this volume).

    Google Scholar 

  • Clements, D. H., Baroody, A. J., & Sarama, J. (2013). Background research on early mathematics. National Governor’s Association, Center Project on Early Mathematics. https://www.nga.org/files/live/sites/NGA/files/pdf/2013/1311SEME-Background.pdf. Accessed December 31, 2016.

  • Cooke, A. (2016, July). Pre-service teacher relationships with mathematics—creative? Anxious? Competent? Paper presented at the 13th International Congress on Mathematical Education, Hamburg, Germany.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooke, A., & Bruns, J. (2018). Early childhood educators’ issues and perspectives in mathematics education. In I. Elia, J. Mulligan, A. Anderson, A. Baccaglini-Frank & C. Benz (Eds.), Contemporary research and perspectives on early childhood mathematics education (this volume).

    Google Scholar 

  • Davydov, V. (1975). Logical and psychological problems of elementary mathematics as an academic subject. In L. P. Steffe (Ed.), Children’s capacity for learning mathematics: Soviet studies in the psychology of learning and teaching mathematics (Vol. VII, pp. 55–107). Chicago: University of Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dougherty, B. J., & Zilliox, J. (2003). Voyaging from theory to practice in learning: Measure up. In N. A. Pateman, B. J. Dougherty, & J. T. Zilliox (Eds.), Proceedings of the 27th Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME), (Vol. 1, pp. 17–22). Honolulu: PME Committee.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunekacke, S., Eilerts, K., & Jenßen, L. (2016, July). Relations of affective, cognitive and situations-specific facets of preschool teachers’ professional competence. Poster presented at the 13th International Congress on Mathematical Education, Hamburg, Germany.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elia, I. (2018). Observing the use of gestures in young children’s geometric thinking. In I. Elia, J. Mulligan, A. Anderson, A. Baccaglini-Frank, & C. Benz (Eds.), Contemporary research and perspectives on early childhood mathematics education (this volume).

    Google Scholar 

  • Fletcher, N., & Ginsburg, H. (2016, July). Teaching symmetry in the early childhood classroom: Using software to facilitate discourse and promote understanding of symmetric transformations. Paper presented at the 13th International Congress on Mathematical Education, Hamburg, Germany.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fritz, A., Ehlert, A., & Balzer, L. (2013). Development of mathematical concepts as basis for an elaborated mathematical understanding. South African Journal for Childhood Education, 3(1), 38–67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fritz-Stratmann, A., Ehlert, A., & Herzog, M. (2016, July). From thought to reality—implementation of an in-school mathematics training in South Africa. Paper presented at the 13th International Congress on Mathematical Education, Hamburg, Germany.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ginsburg, H. P., Uscianowski, C., & Almeda Ma, V. (2018). Interactive mathematics storybooks and their friends. In I. Elia, J. Mulligan, A. Anderson, A. Baccaglini-Frank, & C. Benz (Eds.), Contemporary research and perspectives on early childhood mathematics education (this volume).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hannula-Sormunen, M. M., Lehtinen, E., & Räsänen, P. (2015). Preschool children’s spontaneous focusing on numerosity, subitizing, and counting skills as predictors of their mathematical performance seven years later at school. Mathematical Thinking and Learning, 17, 155–177.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • James, A., Jenks, C., & Prout, A. (1998). Theorizing childhood. Cambridge: Polity Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jenßen, L., Eilerts, K., Koinzer, T., Schmude, C., & Blömeke, S. (2016, July). Development and validation of a test battery assessing preschool teachers’ professional competence in the field of mathematics. Paper presented at the 13th International Congress on Mathematical Education, Hamburg, Germany.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lüken, M. (2018). Repeating pattern competencies in three- to five-year old kindergartners: A closer look at strategies. In I. Elia, J. Mulligan, A. Anderson, A. Baccaglini-Frank, & C. Benz (Eds.), Contemporary research and perspectives on early childhood mathematics education (this volume).

    Google Scholar 

  • Lüken, M. & Kampmann, R. (2018). The influence of fostering children’s patterning abilities on their arithmetic skills in Grade 1. In I. Elia, J. Mulligan, A. Anderson, A. Baccaglini-Frank, & C. Benz (Eds.), Contemporary research and perspectives on early childhood mathematics education (this volume).

    Google Scholar 

  • McClure, E. R., Guernsey, L., Clements, D. H., Bales, S. N., Nichols, J., Kendall-Taylor, N., et al. (2017). STEM starts early: Grounding science, technology, engineering, and math education in early childhood. New York: The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mulligan, J. T., & Mitchelmore, M. C. (2018). Promoting early mathematical structural development through an integrated assessment and pedagogical program. In I. Elia, J. Mulligan, A. Anderson, A. Baccaglini-Frank, & C. Benz (Eds.), Contemporary research and perspectives on early childhood mathematics education (this volume).

    Google Scholar 

  • National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers (NGACBP and CCSSO). (2010). Common core state standards for mathematics. http://corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_Math%20Standards.pdf. Accessed July 16, 2017.

  • Papic, M. M., Mulligan, J. T., & Mitchelmore, M. C. (2011). Assessing the development of preschoolers’ mathematical patterning. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 42, 237–268.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rathé, S., Torbeyns, J., de Smedt, B., Hannula-Sormunen, M. M., & Verschaffel, L. (2018). Kindergartners’ spontaneous focus on number during picture book reading. In I. Elia, J. Mulligan, A. Anderson, A. Baccaglini-Frank, & C. Benz (Eds.), Contemporary research and perspectives on early childhood mathematics education (this volume).

    Google Scholar 

  • Sarama, J., & Clements, D. H. (2009). Early childhood mathematics education research: Learning trajectories for young children. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sarama, J., & Clements, D. H. (2015). Scaling up early mathematics interventions: Transitioning with trajectories and technologies. In R. Perry, A. MacDonald, & A. Gervasoni (Eds.), Mathematics and transition to school (pp. 153–169). Singapore: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sfard, A. (2008). Thinking as communicating: Human development, the growth of discourses, and mathematizing. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Sinclair, N. (2018). Time, immersion and articulation: Digital technology for early childhood mathematics. In I. Elia, J. Mulligan, A. Anderson, A. Baccaglini-Frank & C. Benz (Eds.), Contemporary research and perspectives on early childhood mathematics education (this volume).

    Google Scholar 

  • Sinclair, N., & Baccaglini-Frank, A. (2016). Digital technologies in the early primary school classroom. In L. English & D. Kirshner (Eds.), Handbook of international research in mathematics education (3rd ed., pp. 662–686). New York, NY: Taylor Francis/Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sinclair, N., & Yerushalmy, M. (2016). Digital technology in mathematics teaching and learning: A decade focused on theorising and teaching. In A. Gutiérrez, G. Leder, & P. Boero (Eds.), The second handbook of research on the psychology of mathematics education: The journey continues (pp. 235–274). Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Sense Publishers.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Thom, J. S. (2018). (Re)(con)figuring space: Three children’s geometric reasonings. In I. Elia, J. Mulligan, A. Anderson, A. Baccaglini-Frank & C. Benz (Eds.), Contemporary research and perspectives on early childhood mathematics education (this volume).

    Google Scholar 

  • Torbeyns, J., Gilmore, C., & Verschaffel, L. (2015). The acquisition of preschool mathematical abilities: Theoretical, methodological and educational considerations. Mathematical Thinking and Learning, 17(2–3), 99–115.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tsamir, P., Tirosh, D., Levenson, E., & Barkai, R. (2018). Early childhood teachers’ knowledge and self-efficacy for evaluating solutions to repeating pattern tasks. In I. Elia, J. Mulligan, A. Anderson, A. Baccaglini-Frank & C. Benz (Eds.), Contemporary research and perspectives on early childhood mathematics education (this volume).

    Google Scholar 

  • Verschaffel, L., Greer, B., & De Corte, E. (2007). Whole number concepts and operations. In F. K. Lester (Ed.), Second handbook of research on mathematics teaching and learning (pp. 557–628). Greenwich, CT: Information Age.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, A. H., Firmender, J. M., Power, J. R., & Byrnes, J. P. (2016). Understanding the program effectiveness of early mathematics interventions for prekindergarten and kindergarten environments: A meta-analytic review. Early Education and Development, 27(5), 692–713.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watts, T. W., Duncan, G. J., Siegler, R. S., & Davis-Kean, P. E. (2014). What’s past is prologue: Relations between early mathematics knowledge and high school achievement. Educational Researcher, 43(7), 352–360.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Education, University of Cyprus, P.O. Box. 20537, 1678, Nicosia, Cyprus

    Iliada Elia

  2. Department of Educational Studies, Faculty of Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Sydney, 2109, Australia

    Joanne Mulligan

  3. Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy, University of British Columbia, 2125 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada

    Ann Anderson

  4. Department of Mathematics, University of Pisa, Largo Bruno Pontecorvo, 5, 53127, Pisa, Italy

    Anna Baccaglini-Frank

  5. Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Education Karlsruhe, Bismarckstr. 10, 76133, Karlsruhe, Germany

    Christiane Benz

Authors
  1. Iliada Elia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Joanne Mulligan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ann Anderson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Anna Baccaglini-Frank
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Christiane Benz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Iliada Elia .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Education, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus

    Iliada Elia

  2. Faculty of Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

    Joanne Mulligan

  3. Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

    Ann Anderson

  4. Department of Mathematics, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

    Anna Baccaglini-Frank

  5. Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Education Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany

    Christiane Benz

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Elia, I., Mulligan, J., Anderson, A., Baccaglini-Frank, A., Benz, C. (2018). Early Childhood Mathematics Education: Reflections and Moving Forward. In: Elia, I., Mulligan, J., Anderson, A., Baccaglini-Frank, A., Benz, C. (eds) Contemporary Research and Perspectives on Early Childhood Mathematics Education. ICME-13 Monographs. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73432-3_16

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73432-3_16

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-73431-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-73432-3

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation