1. What ‘counts’ in early numeracy--and why we need to care
Brenda Smith-Chant, PhD
Deeply Rooted in Literacy: 2010

2. Background Brenda Smith-Chant Professor, Trent University
PhD, MA (Carleton University)
Postdoctoral Fellow (Sick Kids)
Professor, Trent University
Department of Psychology
Research area: Development and Cognition
Early math and literacy development
Editor: Acquisition of Early Numeracy
Encyclopedia of Language & Literacy

3. What got me interested in numeracy
7 x 8 = ?

4. Count Me In. and Count Me In, Too
Count Me In! and Count Me In, Too! Long-term predictors of children’s math
Long-term study
Following over 400 children, across Canada
Grades JK to 5
Over 5 years
Looking at early behaviours that support later math performance
Also, looked at literacy behaviours

5. Your turn…. Why did you decide to attend this presentation
What are YOUR questions about early numeracy?
Math vs. math-phobic people

6. Numeracy: what is it? Numeracy: Similar to the concept of literacy
Skills involving numerical concepts,
Number sense and counting
Measurement
Patterning and algebra
Geometry and spatial sense
Probability and estimation
Sometimes called “math literacy”
Problem: Don’t like this word, implies that it is just part of literacy
Not quite true…

7. Agenda for this presentation
The development of early numeracy
Evidence of the importance of early numeracy
Activities that promote numeracy

8. Development of Numeracy
Numeracy we are born with…

9. What are these early numeracy skills?
Quantity awareness:
Subitizing
Ability to determine the quantity of a small group of items without apparent counting
Let me show you….

10. How many are there? 

11. How many are there?
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12. How many are there? 

13. To babies, numeracy is…
More important than:
Colour
Shape
Size

14. Other highlights First number words Comparing quantities
24 months
Comparing quantities
4 years
Recognizing and analyzing patterns (roots of algebra)
Pre-kindergarten

15. Counting: A complex skill
Number words
Stable order
One-to-one correspondence
Cardinality
Order irrelevance
Abstractness

16. Counting NOT just knowing the words Counting to determine QUANTITY
Practice, practice, practice
Learning abstraction

17. Counting is a challenge

18. Problems counting Knowing the words only Complexities of English!
French is worse…
Need for practice…

19. Internal Number Line May be innate Making connections
Counting is key
Left to right orientation

20. Geometry and Measurement
Shape
Size
Properties and attributes of objects
Use of measurement
Practical application

21. Arithmetic Counting IS arithmetic Very early skill
(Next number plus 1)
Very early skill
Intuitive (less than 3)
Application to real world

22. Numeracy: Who cares? Numeracy is essential for: Formal math Science
Technology
Music
Art
Carpentry/Trades
$$$

23. Numeracy skills associated with:
Socio-economic status
Autonomy (independence)
Academic outcomes
More predictive of future academics than literacy!
Duncan et al. (2007)

24. Numeracy: Who cares? Current cohort of university students
Declining scores, avoidance
Math avoidance leads to:
Apathy and fear
Avoidance of math
Games
Gambling*
Problems assessing risk

25. Interesting….
Only in North America/Western culture is math viewed as “something you are born good at”
Huntsinger and colleagues
Geary and colleagues
Parents in Asia, Middle East (or of Asian heritage) believe that math is a skill that must be learned
Math performance is accordingly higher

26. What we have learned:
Numeracy skills in PRESCHOOL and are powerful predictors of school-aged math performance
Early numeracy skills are foundational
Supported by research from across many countries, many different studies
Provides child with basis for formal math education

27. We found 3 essential skills
Counting and Subitizing (more on that later)
Spatial attention
Language

28. “Paths” to numeracy (Mathville)

29. How do you foster SUBITIZING in the home?
Requiring children to determine ‘how many are there’
Playing with ‘number cubes’ (sometimes called dice)
Lots of practice and exposure!

30. What are these early numeracy skills?
Quantity Awareness:
Counting
NOT just reciting number words!
Can hide that they can’t count to determine quantity
Understand the CONCEPTS of counting
Special counting words
These words go in set order
Each item set gets a specific word
The last word represents ‘the number’

31. What are these early numeracy skills?
Must be able to count sets more than 3 items
Lots of practice needed
Lots of different items
Develop the awareness that anything can be counted
Fast, efficient, accurate (counting fluency)

32. Counting skills Highly predictive of early addition skills
Addition predicts subtraction, multiplication, arithmetic
Arithmetic core skill in ALL math domains (even geometry)
In much of the existing research arithmetic skills highly predictive of later math performance right to university!

33. What are these early numeracy skills?
Language
Not just any language…
Language of numeracy
Counting words
Patterns of counting words, rules of the number system
What number comes after 99?
More/less, larger/smaller

34. What are these early numeracy skills?
Spatial attention/working memory
Ability to pay attention
Remember information and its location (spatial memory)
Manage complex mental tasks (directions)
Games like “Concentration”, memory games, following a recipe use these skills

35. So, what do we do? Issue at hand:
Most parents and ELCC workers UNDERESTIMATE children’s abilities to do math
Parents:
“Too little”
“I don’t know enough”
“That is something they teach in school”

36. CMI: Home environment in preschool/early school
146 children in Kindergarten, G1, G2
Math/numeracy performance correlated with the frequency with which parents reported
Teaching there children applied ‘formal’ math skills (counting, addition in real-world context)
Engaging in informal quantitative activities:
board and card games,
shopping, or cooking.
Effect sizes were consistent with research relating home literacy experiences to children’s vocabulary.

37. Other researchers… Parent attitude is also key:
Blevins-Knabe; Huntsinger; CMI
Better math performance associated with attitude:
Math is a SKILL that can and should be taught even in preschool/early school
Parents believe they have a role in teaching their children math

38. Sum Up: Early numeracy
Understand the importance of fostering early numeracy skills
Develop the awareness that even in preschool, children can learn a great deal about numeracy

39. Sum Up: Early numeracy
Ensure all “3 paths to Mathville” are provided to children
Quantitative awareness
Language
Spatial Attention/Working memory

40. Quantity Awareness Skills like subitizing and counting
Play games where quantities are used (Snakes and Ladders, Trouble, Cribbage)
Have children count to determine quantity as part of real-world activities
Teach children about money
Use arithmetic in real-world settings
Practice with speed—count from car windows and things that move

41. Language Learning numeracy terms and rules of the number system
Teach the number words
Play the “Next number” game often
Show children the number line

42. Other things
Understand that in the early years—fingers are good for math
Activities such as Art, Music, Sports, Crafts may assist in learning math
Application of numeracy to real-world
Working memory practice

43. Likely the most important
Attitude of the adult is key
Use math yourself and include the child
Get more comfortable!
Children experiencing math problems need MORE experience—not avoidance…
Calculators AFTER the ability is there…not instead of

44. Good thing about numeracy!
Technology is not necessary
Numeracy opportunities surround us
Expensive programs and materials are not necessarily BETTER
Early numeracy isn’t rocket science (it’s just the foundation for it…)
Math is a SKILL and not an INNATE ABILITY

45. Coming to help! The Canadian Language and Literacy Network (CLLRNET)
Developing a “Math Kit” for parents, ELCC professionals, teachers
From preschool to grade 6
Will contain research summary, developmental pathways, recommended tasks and activities to promote numeracy
Available in Spring 2009!

46. Activity Card
11/11/2018
Who's Counting? 46

47. Activity Card
11/11/2018
Who's Counting? 47

48. For more information… bresmith@trentu.ca www.carleton.ca/cmi
Research
Parent newsletters,
Links to other sites
Encyclopedia of Child Development