Young Children's Mathematics: A supporting document for the "Making Things Count" resource

Abstract

Making Things Count (Ministry of Education, 1999) is a teaching resource for early childhood educators. This paper expands on the ideas in Making Things Count and is intended as a resource for teachers, parents and caregivers who want to understand and enhance young children's mathematical thinking It provides a framework for looking at children's mathematical thinking and explores why the development of a 'number sense' is so important. Annotated lists of books for children and further reading for adults are included, along with master copies of some games for young children. This is followed by a profile of a fictional early childhood centre where mathematical experiences occur as an integral and natural part of the daily programme. A summary of the early childhood teacher's role in providing mathematical experiences for children, and practical suggestions for mathematics in centres are presented at the end.