feature

Recognising mathematical
development
in early childhood education
Combining the Australian Curriculum traditionally mathematics is considered distinct from everyday life,
it is distilled from numeracy as part of everyone’s living environment.
and the Early Years Learning Framework While all children do adapt their knowledge from experience, they
may seem straightforward, as the same need to use and extend language to communicate their meaning.
children move on through the different Traditional bias emphasising number in early learning ignores the
wealth of early practical spatial and measuring experience.
levels. However, separate traditions are
not necessarily bridged by linking the What challenges does this raise for early
documents. childhood educators across early care,
preschool and early schooling?
Traditional views of early mathematical education The continued curriculum focus on separate subjects
supported in a recent South Australian with mathematics, English, science and history,
publication (DECD, 2012) stress the the first four developed in the Australian
ability to count and knowledge of Curriculum, emphasises primacy of
numbers. Fleer and Raban’s (2007) these throughout the school years.
Building good practice project Mathematics, like literacy, has
asserted that early numeracy always been a subject used to
concepts encompassed more rank learners’ performance.
than numbers, especially in New emphasis on cross-
the preschool years when curriculum connections with
children participating in science and arts recognises
practical daily activities that literacy and numeracy
encounter measurement, exist in wider spheres than
pattern, position and traditionally recognised. This
movement in space. For comes closer to the early
young children, numbers childhood education and care
mean more in the context and preschool emphasis on
of activities. planning from the individual
child’s inclinations. Mathematical
When do some
experiences tend to be part of
children begin to a range of activities. Sorting and
be mathematically matching exist in:
disadvantaged? • singing a known song
Geist (2009) suggests that becoming a • thinking about the sequence of a story in
mathematician starts at birth. Bjorklund (2012) a picture book
states that although discernment of difference and change is • helping to put away the blocks.
innate, interaction with people and the environment is necessary
for development. How do some children develop awareness of Re-creating order in sequence may include: taking the finished
relationships of size, shape and amount in their encounters with painting off the easel and placing it on a drying rack, completing a
common objects, places and people while others, sometimes from puzzle or complying with familiar lunch and rest routines.
the same family, remain oblivious? Discussion of the mathematics involved needs to be shared in
Social and playful interaction is important in enabling adults’ conversation with children who should be encouraged to match
understanding of the child’s viewpoint and level of interest. This practical experience with appropriate language.
has always been the core of planning in early childhood education The Australian Curriculum focuses on expected annual achievement
practice, but especially in birth to five years practice. Although in mathematical outcomes measured by regular teacher reporting,

18 Every Child Volume 19, Number 1 2013

 feature
supplemented by Australia-wide testing of literacy and numeracy,
starting early in Year 3. These tests require the ability to read and
record solutions to set questions. This involves:
• familiarity with mathematical content of questions presented
• mathematical literacy to interpret their meaning
• ability to confidently perform in test conditions.
Teachers must give attention to:
• developing performance values
• getting right answers
• completion of work within a set time frame.
Testing does not necessarily measure all of a five- to eight-year old’s
numeracy experience and knowledge but only that which can be
expressed in this form of testing.

Will poor test results increase emphasis

on remembering the answers, rather than
widening and deepening thinking ability or
developing a scientific turn of mind?
Testing does not necessarily develop mathematical curiosity, extend
mathematical thinking or the desire to understand. Australia has Testing does not
performed only moderately in the international comparison of test
results from 48 countries (ACER, 2011) and the online availability necessarily develop
of a school’s test scores fuels local criticism where parents seek
schools with better results. Will this also affect parental expectation mathematical curiosity ...
of preschools and early childhood education and care centres?
If only set lists of skills are documented, individual responses or
While testing can be used with older children who have developed ‘situated learning’ which may indicate more advanced thinking and
more conventional mathematical skills, individual assessment for problem solving could be missed. In preschool years individuals
under-fives was adapted from what was developed originally for have many opportunities to respond across wider learning
psychological research to reveal children’s thinking in specific areas. environments than in junior primary classrooms. Problem solving
Educators working with early childhood and preschool levels have is often not recognised as central to the mathematics curriculum
the advantage of working with the same children for longer periods during the birth to eight range but it is then most freely inventive and
than researchers and have continuity of everyday observations. productive. Staff team discussion is an important factor in planning
Authentic assessments are available daily during interaction with the support of children’s continued activity. The amount of individual
children and these are used both consciously and unconsciously choice in before-school programs facilitates observation more than
in planning for the program. Ideally, film sequences and still the curriculum-focused, single-teacher class settings for five- to
photographs can be used to capture activities and be used in eight-year olds.
discussion by the planning team as suggested in Carr’s (2001, p. 4) Anne Carrington
Learning Stories project in New Zealand. Carr identifies the change Early Childhood Education Lecturer, University of South Australia
she made between convergent and divergent assessment in her
own work before applying it in research. Trevor Feder
Early Childhood Education Lecturer, University of South Australia
Assessment Information Purpose Application References
collected ACER (Australian Council for Educational Research). (2011). Highlights from TIMSS
& PIRLS 2011 from Australia’s perspective, monitoring Australian Year 4 student
Convergent Checklist of Achievement School achievement internationally. Retrieved 8 January, 2013, from www.acer.edu.au/timss.
skills summaries readiness Bjorklund, C. (2012). What counts when working with mathematics in a toddler group?
Comparison Early Years: An International Journal of Research and Development, 32(2), 215–228.
of children/
Carr, M. (2001). Assessment in early childhood settings: Learning Stories. London:
groups Sage.
DECD (Department for Education and Child Development). (2012). Numeracy and
Divergent Individuals’ Ongoing Informing literacy: Improving Foundation skills for learning and life. Adelaide: South Australia.
uses of individual interactive Fleer, M., & Raban, B. for Department of Education Employment and Workplace
materials/ understanding planning Relations (DEEWR). (2007). Early childhood literacy and numeracy: Building good
ideas in practice. Canberra: Australian Capital Territory.
activities Geist, E. (2009). Children are born mathematicians: Supporting mathematical
development, birth to age 8. New Jersey: Pearson Education.

www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au 19