Tuesday, February 15, 2011

On BLOCK Fest and Early Numeracy in Clallam County: Early childhood math education

 
Reading some of the research on the Block Fest website (at www.blockfest.org), I came across an astounding finding: that math readiness for kindergarten is a better predictor of later reading proficiency than is reading readiness for kindergarten. I was to find similar findings as I read some of the research cited in the NRC book.
 
The most disturbing thing I read in the book, though, was that lower SES kids arrive in kindergarten significantly behind others and then fall further behind in succeeding grades. But then there was good news: playing a simple board game can help solve the problem. And playing with blocks helps, too. Following up on this, I came across a great website run by Gwen Dewar, one I wish it had been available to me when my children were young. I hope everyone interested in math and kids will look at www.parentingscience.com/preschool-board-game-math.html and at other pages on this site.
 
 
Ellen Fetchiet, who works for the Lower Elwa tribe, participates in our consultation group, coming all the way from Port Angeles to join us. Her spouse Bill Marsh posted the piece above on math and preschoolers on the Seattle PI blog. Bill is a mover and a shaker to promote BLOCK Fest in his county. He writes:
 
Clallam County's participation in BLOCK Fest and our other efforts in early numeracy, both our successes and our failuers, can help Washington plan for how toimplement Strategy #11 of our Early Learning Plan. Any work done here in early mathematics will help the children, families, and schools in the county with the worst graduation rates in the state. Maybe the last can be helped by being first in early math.
 
Excerpts from Strategy #11 of Washington's ten year Early Learning Plan, released Sept. 2, 2010, per Bill.  -gw
 
A statewide awareness and value of early learning numeracy skills will be created. OSPI, DEL, and Thrive b Five Washington will take the lead in initiating programs that promote community-side awareness of the importance of early matahematics and numeracy skills to later school achievement. ...
 
A growing body of research ... supports the need to reach all parents and early learning providers so that they can understand and are able to support children's early mathematics and numeracy development. ... Early childhood teachers and providers are ofte uncomfortable teaching mathematics.

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