# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Students use numbers, including written numerals, to represent quantities and to solve quantitative problems, such as counting objects in a set; counting out a given number of objects; comparing sets or numerals; and modeling simple joining and separating situations with sets of objects, or eventually with equations such as 5 + 2 = 7 and 7 - 2 = 5.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We now know that the messages we give students can change their performance dramatically, and that students need to know that the adults in their lives believe in them. Researchers are learning that students' ideas about their ability and potential are extremely important, much more than previously understood. As well as the messages we give students about their potential, brain research is now showing that messages students pick up from their parents about math and their parents' relationships with math can also change students' math learning and achievement.

In an important study researchers found that when mothers told their daughters they were not good at math in school, their daughter's achievement declined almost immediately (Eccles & Jacobs, 1986). In a new study neuroscientists Erin Maloney and colleagues found that parents' math anxiety reduced their children's learning of math across grades 1 and 2, but only if parents helped their children on math homework (Maloney, Ramirez, Gunderson, Levine, & Beilock, 2015) If they did not help them on homework, the parents' math anxiety did not detract from their children's learning.

The parents' math knowledge did not turn out to have any impact, only their level of math anxiety.

Both studies, again, communicate the importance of the messages students receive, as it was not math knowledge that harmed the students' performance but the parents' anxiety. We do not know what parents with math anxiety say to their children but it is likely they communicate the negative messages we know to be harmful, such as "math is hard" or "I was never good at math in school." It is critical that when parents interact with children about math they communicate positive messages, saying that math is exciting and it is an open subject that anyone can learn with hard work, that it is not about being "smart" or not and that math is all around us in the world. For more parental advice on ways to help students with math see the parent page.

Teachers also need to give positive messages to students at all times. Many elementary teachers feel anxious about mathematics, usually because they themselves have been given fixed and stereotyped messages about the subject and their potential. When I taught in my online teacher/parent class that mathematics is a multidimensional subject that everyone can learn, many of the elementary teachers who took it described it as life-changing and approached mathematics differently afterward. Around 85% of elementary teachers in the United States are women, and Beilock, Gunderson, Ramirez, & Levine (2009) found something very interesting and important. The researchers found that the levels of anxiety held by women elementary teachers also predicted the achievement of the girls in their classes, but not the boys (Beilock et al., 2009). Girls look up to their female teachers and identify with them at the same time as teachers are often and sadly conveying the idea that math is hard for them or they are just not a "math person." Many teachers try to be comforting and sympathetic about math, telling girls not to worry, that they can do well in other subjects. We now know such messages are extremely damaging.

Teachers and parents need to replace sympathetic messages such as "Don't worry, math isn't your thing" with positive messages such as "You can do this, I believe in you, math is an open, beautiful subject that is all about effort and hard work."

This article contains excerpts from Jo Boaler's new book, Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students' Potential Through Creative Math, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching
References

Beilock, L. S., Gunderson, E. A., Ramirez, G., & Levine, S. C. (2009). Female teachers' math anxiety affects girls' math achievement. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107(5), 1860-1863.

Boaler, J. (2015). Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students' Potential Through Creative Math, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Eccles, J., & Jacobs, J. (1986). Social forces shape math attitudes and performance. Signs, 11(2), 367-380.

Maloney, E. A., Ramirez, G., Gunderson, E. A., Levine, S. C., & Beilock, S. L. (2015). Intergenerational effects of parents' math anxiety on children's math achievement and anxiety. Psychological Science, 0956797615592630.

We now know that the messages we give students can change their performance dramatically, and that students need to know that the adults in their lives believe in them. Researchers are learning that students' ideas about their ability and potential are extremely important, much more than previously understood. As well as the messages we give students about their potential, brain research is now showing that messages students pick up from their parents about math and their parents' relationships with math can also change students' math learning and achievement.

In an important study researchers found that when mothers told their daughters they were not good at math in school, their daughter's achievement declined almost immediately (Eccles & Jacobs, 1986). In a new study neuroscientists Erin Maloney and colleagues found that parents' math anxiety reduced their children's learning of math across grades 1 and 2, but only if parents helped their children on math homework (Maloney, Ramirez, Gunderson, Levine, & Beilock, 2015) If they did not help them on homework, the parents' math anxiety did not detract from their children's learning.

The parents' math knowledge did not turn out to have any impact, only their level of math anxiety.

Both studies, again, communicate the importance of the messages students receive, as it was not math knowledge that harmed the students' performance but the parents' anxiety. We do not know what parents with math anxiety say to their children but it is likely they communicate the negative messages we know to be harmful, such as "math is hard" or "I was never good at math in school." It is critical that when parents interact with children about math they communicate positive messages, saying that math is exciting and it is an open subject that anyone can learn with hard work, that it is not about being "smart" or not and that math is all around us in the world. For more parental advice on ways to help students with math see the parent page.

Teachers also need to give positive messages to students at all times. Many elementary teachers feel anxious about mathematics, usually because they themselves have been given fixed and stereotyped messages about the subject and their potential. When I taught in my online teacher/parent class that mathematics is a multidimensional subject that everyone can learn, many of the elementary teachers who took it described it as life-changing and approached mathematics differently afterward. Around 85% of elementary teachers in the United States are women, and Beilock, Gunderson, Ramirez, & Levine (2009) found something very interesting and important. The researchers found that the levels of anxiety held by women elementary teachers also predicted the achievement of the girls in their classes, but not the boys (Beilock et al., 2009). Girls look up to their female teachers and identify with them at the same time as teachers are often and sadly conveying the idea that math is hard for them or they are just not a "math person." Many teachers try to be comforting and sympathetic about math, telling girls not to worry, that they can do well in other subjects. We now know such messages are extremely damaging.

Teachers and parents need to replace sympathetic messages such as "Don't worry, math isn't your thing" with positive messages such as "You can do this, I believe in you, math is an open, beautiful subject that is all about effort and hard work."

This article contains excerpts from Jo Boaler's new book, Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students' Potential Through Creative Math, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching
References

Beilock, L. S., Gunderson, E. A., Ramirez, G., & Levine, S. C. (2009). Female teachers' math anxiety affects girls' math achievement. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107(5), 1860-1863.

Boaler, J. (2015). Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students' Potential Through Creative Math, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Eccles, J., & Jacobs, J. (1986). Social forces shape math attitudes and performance. Signs, 11(2), 367-380.

Maloney, E. A., Ramirez, G., Gunderson, E. A., Levine, S. C., & Beilock, S. L. (2015). Intergenerational effects of parents' math anxiety on children's math achievement and anxiety. Psychological Science, 0956797615592630.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Parents' Beliefs about Math Change Their Children's Achievement - YouCubed

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We now know that the messages we give students can change their performance dramatically, and that students need to know that the adults in their lives believe in them. Researchers are learning that students' ideas about their ability and potential are extremely important, much more than previously understood.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A video made especially for parents and teachers on why we need the common core. It shows some great data on why students did so well and some great footage of a wonderful math task from Ruth Parker, with some visual solutions.

A video made especially for parents and teachers on why we need the common core. It shows some great data on why students did so well and some great footage of a wonderful math task from Ruth Parker, with some visual solutions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A video made especially for parents and teachers on why we need the common core. It shows some great data on why students did so well and some great footage of a wonderful math task from Ruth Parker, with some visual solutions.

# data[].attributes.headline
6 Ways to Support Your Child's Math Development

# data[].attributes.subject
6 Ways to Support Your Child's Math Development

# data[].attributes.body
http://mrsmclennan.blogspot.com/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Excerpt of Jo from "The Importance of Struggle" - YouCubed

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A one-minute clip of Jo Boaler from "The Importance of Struggle"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Children are natural mathematicians. Numbers matter. How old you are. How big you are. How many things you can hold in your hand. Who had a longer turn. Who got a bigger piece of cake. What shape the pasta is. How many more minutes there are until bedtime.

Sound familiar?

These common challenges with our children involve number sense, time, spacial awareness, geometry, fractions, operations, and more. Numbers matter.

Loose parts play is an incredible tool for teaching early math skills in a way that will promote the types of critical thinking and inquiry necessary for more advanced computation.

Math and Loose Parts Play

An environment rich in loose parts naturally encourages math skill development. In , a teacher shares how students collected and brought in loose parts from home to carry out math lessons in the classroom. When we teach math skills using direct instruction, it is usually a solo experience. You may include the use of manipulatives, but there is a specific skill set being targeted and a specific route to achieve it. this article at from Teach Preschool Combining math and loose parts play takes the isolation of formal instruction out of the math scene and introduces experimentation and collaboration. There are many ways you can encourage children to think mathematically as they explore with loose parts.

Counting with Loose Parts:

Loose parts can be used to encourage number recognition, counting and one-to-one correspondence. One of my favorite ways to introduce numbers with young children is to provide a visual of the numeral as it is written along with a variety of loose parts for exploring that value.

This can be as simple as providing nine toy cars with the number nine or as complex as providing a tray with a variety of small loose parts to see how many ways your child can make the number nine. You might send your mathematician on a scavenger hunt to collect 9 objects.

Very young children can begin to explore the concept of one-to-one correspondence as they fit one object into each section of a muffin tin.

Sorting with Loose Parts:

As children group and sort items, they learn mathematical concepts of size, ratio, and classification. Given a collection of plastic lids from food pouches, beads, mosaic tiles or even objects found outside, children will naturally explore sorting them by color or size or material.

Cerriation is the process of lining up items from tallest to shortest, darkest to lightest, and so forth. Children will often explore this skill using loose parts like logs, river rocks, or even velcro hair rollers!

We inherently desire the order and predictability that comes from sorting and categorizing objects in our environment. Providing a set of similar objects that differ in size or color can promote this. Asking provoking questions, like "is there another way you can group these?" invites children to explore a variety of ways to classify objects.

Patterning with Loose Parts:

Loose parts in a variety of colors, textures and shapes naturally lend themselves to the creation of patterns. Objects like sea glass or pom poms begin to inspire simple patterns and progressively more complex ones.

You can encourage a child who is beginning to explore patterns by starting off a pattern with loose parts and asking him/her to continue it. Perhaps you might create a pattern and leave one blank spot in the middle.

If you notice your child working a pattern in one way, can he/she create another type of pattern using the same materials?

Here we used mini apples to create patterns with play dough.

Beginning to Explore Simple Operations with Loose Parts:

As children develop stronger number sense, you can set up invitations with loose parts that encourage basic operations.

One wonderful thing about using loose parts for math is that the same materials can be used to cultivate multiple skills. Once a child has mastered counting out a set of loose parts to correspond to a number (as in the counting crowns shown above) he/she might be ready to use the same materials to find the sum of two numbers.

Recycled cardboard tubes and sticks collected from outdoors helped to create this addition game in which children grouped the appropriate number of sticks in each tube to find the sum.

Pom poms can be used to play a scoop and add game for exploring early addition.

Use small toys to model early addition problems like in this duck pond addition activity.

Using Loose Parts for Geometry and Shapes:

Another way to combine math and loose parts play is to explore concepts of symmetry, spatial awareness (how things fit in front, behind, next to or underneath something) and geometric shapes. River rocks, pom poms or craft sticks can be used to "trace a shape".

Shapes can be explored in isolation and in combination. Invite kids to see what happens when they combine shapes by placing similar magnetic shapes on a vertical surface.
Building On Early Math Skills with Loose Parts:
Building upon early math skills can lead to building! Using objects to measure, explore weight, volume and engineering are all ways that children gain mathematical concepts through loose parts play. A collection of craft sticks and pom poms can be used atop a recycled cardboard tube to test how many apples a tree can hold.

Loose parts can be used as a measurement unit in seeing how tall or wide something is. Make it meaningful to help the learning stick! We recently used measured how many square magnatiles tall my older son's baby brother! Measure and compare objects like shoes, pants, or everyone's height in the family.

See if kids can build a tower taller than another object of choice.

A variety of early math skills are put to work in combination to build and test this fun Build and Break Math Game.

More Tips About Math and Loose Parts Play

At its heart, loose parts play is child-led and maintaining this in balance with adult involvement can be a balancing act. We want to support emerging skills while allowing a space and pace for self discovery. Some of the activities above show a more "structured" approach that includes the use of loose parts.

However, an environment with access to meaningful loose parts and no specific agenda will still naturally lend itself to the development of mathematical concepts. When you observe children in the act of counting, sorting, patterning and more, you can follow these three simple steps to support their natural learning process:

1. Notice: Without qualifying it (with praise or judgment), state your observations. "I notice you have a pile of pink pom poms and a pile of green pom poms." This allows an opportunity for children to tell us about their process and experience.

2. Ask a Thoughtful Question: "What are you going to do next?" "What do you notice about this line of glass gems?" "What can you tell me about this?"

3. Expand on Their Ideas: When I notice children interested in a particular activity with loose parts, I try to offer opportunities for expanding on those play themes. A child very interested in exploring with triangles and building might love a book about Egypt and the pyramids. A child fascinated by measuring with loose parts might love an opportunity to measure in a new way-perhaps a scale to observe weight.

Math for many children and adults alike can invoke feelings of dread. When we shift the focus from direct instruction toward embracing the natural tendency of children to think mathematically, we can shift the paradigm altogether.

An environment rich in loose parts invites children to develop math skills led by their own curiosity. When we catch them in the act of thinking like mathematicians, we can encourage them to take it deeper while simultaneously fostering a lifelong love for a subject often loathed. Join me next time as we explore the use of loose parts in literacy!

See All of the Posts in the Loose Parts Play Series

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Math and Loose Parts Play - Fantastic Fun & Learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Combining math and loose parts play takes the isolation of formal instruction out of the math scene and introduces experimentation and collaboration. There are many ways to encourage children to think mathematically as they explore with loose parts. Try these loose parts play activities in preschool or kindergarten.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Copyright © 2021 Tang Math LLC. All rights reserved.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Copyright © 2023 Tang Math LLC. All rights reserved.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When we emphasize learning, and embrace mistakes, then children get excited about learning.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Stick With It: Encouraging Persistence in Kids | Parenting Tips &...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Persistence is a helpful trait in life. It describes how long we are able to stick at a task, manage frustration, and push through the challenges we encounter. Here are some ideas for parenting children at all levels of persistence.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Bath time is perfect for exploring math with your young child! Not only do you have each other's full attention, but the learning can be hands on, playful, and messy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Try these ideas at home to help your preschooler explore math.

# data[].attributes.headline
5 Ways to Build Math Into Your Child's Day

# data[].attributes.subject
5 Ways to Build Math Into Your Child's Day

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Ways to Build Math into Your Child's Day

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Math is everywhere. That's great news for parents, because we can talk with our kids about math in fun, natural ways. And that kind of math-talk is really important.

# data[].attributes.headline
Support Math Readiness Through Math Talk

# data[].attributes.subject
Support Math Readiness Through Math Talk

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Support Math Readiness Through Math Talk

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The more parents talk with their child about math at home, the more a child's mind is stimulated to think about math.

# data[].attributes.headline
Helping Your Child See and Show Mathematical Ideas

# data[].attributes.subject
Helping Your Child See and Show Mathematical Ideas

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Helping Your Child See and Show Mathematical Ideas

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Here are some examples of how you can use fingers to teach a young child about counting, putting things in order, and computing.

# data[].attributes.headline
Support Math with Materials in Your Home

# data[].attributes.subject
Support Math with Materials in Your Home

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Support Math with Materials in Your Home

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Here are six activities that support your child's math readiness - with simple materials you may have at home.

# data[].attributes.headline
The Four Major Math Concepts for Kindergarteners

# data[].attributes.subject
The Four Major Math Concepts for Kindergarteners

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
There are so many different topics our children learn throughout the year, just keeping up with each night's new piece of homework and its latest ideas can feel very overwhelming. As parents, we don't get to see the major idea behind the "everyday" work and it can be frustrating to understand where each skill is going. In this first blog post of a continuing series, I will be highlighting the major math concepts that are taught at the different grade levels so we, as parents, can help to build and support these ideas at home.

Here are the four major math concepts taught in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, along with exercises you can practice with your children to help reinforce their learning.

1. Counting. Students are beginning their experience with numbers through counting, number names and written numerals. Students are learning to count objects and understand a one-to-one correspondence. They are also starting to compare different sets of objects and use appropriate language.

Encourage your child to:

Touch different objects and count out loud.

Move objects from one group to another.

Count a set of objects and "see" or "write" that corresponding number.

Start to use comparing words: more than, less than, the same as.

2. Addition & Subtraction. This is the very early stage of adding and subtracting. The focus should be on developing an understanding of addition as "putting together and adding to," and subtracting as "taking apart and taking from." Students do not need to write equations at this young an age, but are encouraged to begin using them.

Encourage your child to:

Tell stories about adding and subtracting. For example, for addition: Two bunnies sat on the grass. Three more bunnies hopped there. How many bunnies are on the grass now? For subtraction: Five apples were on the table. I ate two apples. How many apples are on the table now? Draw pictures about putting together and taking apart.

Count to 10 and break apart numbers (decompose - math's fancy word for "breaking apart") into different combinations. For example, 5 can be seen as:

Image Credit: http://kindercraze.com

3. Measurement & Data. Young children are beginning to describe and compare their physical world. They are starting to classify, sort and group objects into categories.

Encourage your children to:

Compare two different objects using appropriate language. For example:
"John is taller than Sarah."
"This tree is shorter than that tree."
"My bag is heavier than your bag."

Sort objects by color, size, material, etc.

Describe their physical world with directional words: in front of, behind, on top of, next to, below, etc.

4. Geometry. Students are starting to look at and compare two-dimensional (flat) and three-dimensional (solid) shapes. They are using appropriate language to recognize different shapes and talk about their attributes.

Encourage your child to:

Find 2-D shapes in the world: squares, circles, triangles, rectangles, and hexagons.

Find 3-D shapes in the world: cubes, cones, cylinders, and spheres.

Count the different number of sides, vertices, angles, etc.Model different shapes using clay, sticks, pipe-cleaners, etc.

See all blog posts in this series for information on what your child will learn in math class from preschool all the up through 8th grade.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The 4 Major Math Concepts Your Kids Learn in PreK & Kindergarten

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
There are so many different topics our children learn throughout the year, just keeping up with each night's new piece of homework and its latest ideas can feel very overwhelming. As parents, we don't get to see the major idea behind the "everyday" work and it can be frustrating to understand where each skill is going.

# data[].attributes.headline
10 New Math Terms Every Parent Needs to Know

# data[].attributes.subject
10 New Math Terms Every Parent Needs to Know

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
If you're the parent of an elementary schooler, you've probably already figured out that your child's math class is different from math class when you were young. Kids today are engaged in hands-on activities, technology, and small group teaching. They're not learning to "borrow" numbers and "carry the one." In fact, one of the major changes in how math is being taught now involves the use of language. Your child is probably using new math terms daily and focusing on building number sense, decomposing numbers, and using different models to show her thinking. She's using 100 charts, ten frames, and building fact fluency every day - terms that may leave you scratching your head and wondering why you can't figure out a 1st grade worksheet. (Trust us, you're not alone.)

But understanding what your child is being taught in class will help you to have deeper conversations about his learning, and stay informed of (and be able to help with) his daily lessons. Below are 10 frequently used terms your child may be exposed to in math class that will help you stay tuned in - and that's a (math) fact.

1. Mental Math: This is the ability to see, solve, and calculate math problems in your mind without the use of a pencil, paper, or calculator. It's very important to build strategies for your child to increase their mental math skills.

2. Number Sense: Think of number sense as your child's overall understanding of numbers and flexible thinking about them. (Read more about number sense in our helpful article.) The ability to understand, relate, and connect numbers to each other and see numbers in many different ways. Developing your child's number sense is imperative to mathematical success.

3. Decompose: This is the ability to break apart numbers into smaller parts. For example, your child will learn in kindergarten and first grade to decompose the number 10 - this number can be broken apart into the numbers 9 and 1; 8 and 2; 7 and 3; etc. See an example below:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 New Math Terms Every Parent Needs to Know

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If you're the parent of an elementary schooler, you've probably already figured out that your child's math class is different from math class when you were young. Kids today are engaged in hands-on activities, technology, and small group teaching. They're not learning to "borrow" numbers and "carry the one."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Key Shifts in Mathematics | Common Core State Standards Initiative

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics build on the best of existing standards and reflect the skills and knowledge students will need to succeed in college, career, and life. Understanding how the standards differ from previous standards-and the necessary shifts they call for-is essential to implementing them.

# data[].attributes.headline
Videos: What to Expect with Kindergarten Math

# data[].attributes.subject
Videos: What to Expect with Kindergarten Math

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Math articles, book lists, videos, and milestones | GreatSchools

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Articles, book lists, videos, and milestones related to Math

# data[].attributes.body
https://bedtimemath.org/