Teaching and Learning Early Number

Argumento de Teaching and Learning Early Number

* What does research tell us about how young children acquire number concepts?

* What can teachers do to facilitate the development of number understanding?

This book presents an accessible guide to current research into the teaching and learning of early number concepts. The beliefs and number understanding of nursery and reception children are examined, and the book provides a detailed account of the role of counting in the acquisition of number understanding and in the development of derived fact strategies for addition, subtraction and multiplication. The 'emergent mathematics' movement is analysed and the place of written number work is covered. The book argues for the bridging of the gap between mental and written algorithms, and suggests ways in which this may be achieved. Practical activities are described to help teachers develop various aspects of number understanding.Editor"s preface

Prologue:

Early years number today

Section 1: The numerical understanding and beliefs of pre-school children

Children"s beliefs about counting
Children"s early learning of number in school and out

Section 2: The place of counting in number development

The importance of counting
Uses of counting in multiplication and division
The role of counting in derived fact strategies
Compressing the counting process
developing a flexible interpretation of symbols

Section 3: Written number work

"When should they start doing sums?"
a critical consideration of the "emergent mathematics" approach
Writing and number
Mental and written algorithms
can the gap be bridged?

Section 4: Perspectives on teaching number

Approaching number through language
Developing young children"s counting skills
The role of calculators
Teaching /f003for /f001strategies

Epilogue:

Early years number tomorrow
Index.