Where's the Math?: Books, Games, and Routines to Spark Children's Thinking

by Mary Hynes-Berry, Laura Grandau

Overview

Make math learning both meaningful and fun by building on children’s natural curiosity to help them grow into confident problem solvers and investigators of math concepts. 

Using five math-related questions children wonder about as a framework, this book helps you go deeper into everyday math with children by offering:

• A basic overview of math ideas behind matching and sorting, patterns, number sense, measuring, and spatial relationships
• 20 activities appropriate for children in preschool and kindergarten based on new and classic children’s books, games, and classroom routines
• Suggestions for individualizing activities for diverse learners
• Recommendations for more than 75 children’s books that encourage math-rich thinking and investigation
• Examples of intentional questions, comments, and conversations that stretch and focus children’s understanding of math concepts 

Empower yourself with the guidance and ideas in this practical resource to use play and storytelling to challenge children to think more complexly about the math in everything they see, hear, and do.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781938113529
Publisher:	The National Association for the Education of Young Children
Publication date:	12/24/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	15 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Mary Hynes-Berry, PhD, is senior instructor at Erikson Institute and one of the founding members of Erikson’s Early Math Collaborative, which provides professional development to early childhood educators on teaching foundational math and also conducts research on the most effective ways to bolster mathematical thinking among young children. (From Erikson website)

Laura Grandau, PhD, is assistant professor at Erikson Institute as well as a senior program developer for Erikson’s Early Math Collaborative. She studies the link between mathematical interactions and computational thinking in young children. In addition, she helps professionals who work with young children in educational settings outside of school, such as in museums and libraries, better integrate early math concepts into their services for families and caregivers. (From Erikson website)

Mary Hynes-Berry, PhD, has more than 40 years of experience teaching through oral storytelling while working directly with young children. Her original focus was literacy, but she soon began to find ways to weave in mathematics as she worked with preservice and in-service early childhood professionals. Mary is a faculty member at Erikson Institute in Chicago and a founding member of Erikson Institute’s Early Math Collaborative, which provides professional development and carries out applied research on foundational math in early childhood. She is the author of Don’t Leave the Story in the Book: Using Literature to Guide Inquiry in Early Childhood Classrooms (Teachers College Press, 2012) and a contributing author of Big Ideas of Early Mathematics: What Teachers of Young Children Need to Know (Pearson, 2014) and Growing Mathematical Minds: Conversations Between Developmental Psychologists and Early Childhood Teachers (Routledge, 2019).
Laura Grandau, PhD, has worked in STEM education for 25 years in schools, museums, libraries, and nature centers, emphasizing curiosity and play as central components of learning. She is adjunct faculty at Erikson Institute as well as a teacher educator, researcher, and classroom teacher with expertise in teaching and learning math and science. Formerly, she served as manager of education programs at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago and senior program developer for Erikson Institute’s Early Math Collaborative. Laura has worked extensively coaching preservice and in-service teachers and supporting curriculum and instructional planning with school leadership teams. She is a contributing author of Growing Mathematical Minds: Conversations Between Developmental Psychologists and Early Childhood Teachers (Routledge, 2019), and her work has also been published in numerous journals, including Teaching Children Mathematics, Cognition and Instruction, and Harvard Educational Review.

Table of Contents

Preface Introduction Matching and Sorting Chapter 1: How Are These the Same? How Are These Different? Not Quite the Same Resorting to (Re-)Sorting Sorting with Shoes Oh, the Weather Outside! Patterns Chapter 2: What Comes Next? Pattern Detectives Stairstep Story Patterns Cycles as Patterns And . . . Action! Number Sense Chapter 3: How Many Do We Have, Need, or Want? Some Frogs Here, Some Frogs There A Treat to Eat Counting By Feet Counting in My World Measuring Chapter 4: How Big Is It? Building with Blocks Finding the Right Fit Bigger This Way, Bigger That Way The Letter Club Spatial Relationships Chapter 5: Where Is It? Obstacle Course Adventures Shaping Up a Quilt Shape Scavenger Hunt Built-It Challenge Final Thoughts Glossary Book List References Resources Acknowledgments About the Authors

Editorial Reviews

"This great resource not only supports teachers as they cultivate mathematical thinkers in fun, developmentally appropriate ways, it does so by naturally infusing rich conversations and early literacy skills! A must-have addition to any early childhood classroom." —Jessica Mercer Young, Senior Research Scientist, Education Development Center

This book is an insightful guide to helping children discover, learn from, and fall in love with the math that is all around them. While clearly grounded in early math learning research, it’s written in a style that makes the topic approachable, immediately useful, and compelling." —Eric Dearing, Professor of Applied Developmental and Educational Psychology, Boston College

"Where’s the Math? shows you how to support children’s mathematical thinking and inspires you to look at everyday experiences through a mathematical lens. Using this resource, you can intentionally shape your “math talk” to help children understand the relationship between their play and the big ideas in math." —Cate Heroman, Early Childhood Consultant and Author, Cate Heroman, LLC

"This book is much more than a collection of activities—it is an engaging set of explorations teachers can adapt to engage young learners in finding the math that is all around us." —Jie-Qi Chen, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Founder of the Early Math Collaborative, Erikson Institute

"At last! This well-written book gives concrete examples of ways to build on children’s natural wonder and curiosity about the world and to support their mathematics learning. Where’s the Math? is a valuable resource for any early childhood educator." —Kristen E. Reed, Senior Project Director, Education Development Center

"Each chapter of this must-read resource describes practical classroom activities for increasing children’s mathematical thinking and concept mastery through real-life investigations and problem-solving situations." —Danielle Davis, Pre-K Teacher, Metro Nashville Public Schools

"The authors of this important book make a compelling case that mathematics is everywhere in the lives of all young children. It is a valuable resource for early childhood educators who are committed to seeing the math." —Danny Bernard Martin, Professor, Department of Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science, University of Illinois at Chicago

From the Publisher