Content area
Full Text
Will feeds Maya, an 8-month-old in his care. He pauses for a moment and Maya signs "more." Will laughs. "You want more? Okay, here it comes!" He continues feeding her and when the bowl is empty, Will says and signs, "All gone. Maya ate her food. All gone." Maya looks at him and smiles.
WlLL KNOWS that the development of math concepts and skills begins in the first years of life. In fact, from the moment they are born, children begin to construct ideas about mathematics through everyday routines, experiences, and, most importantly, caring interactions with trusted adults. A key aspect of these interactions involves language-how we talk math with infants and toddlers. It's easier than you think. You might be talking math more than you realize! Being aware of early mathematical concepts helps you be more thoughtful and intentional about using these concepts in everyday experiences and interactions with infants and toddlers.
Where's the math?
Math is everywhere! Mathematics is "a way of describing the world-a way of thinking, knowing, and problem-solving" (Virginia's Early Childhood Development Alignment Project 2008, 83). You likely use math and math language all the time but may not be aware of it. For example, when you do laundry and wash clothes separately based on color, you're using the math concepts of sorting and classifying. You also use math concepts when you keep score during sporting events and explain how much your team is ahead or behind (number and operations), or give someone verbal directions to get from one place to another (spatial relationships). As a teacher or caregiver, you likely play games and sing songs that use numbers and counting, use comparison words such as big and little (measurement), and explain the order of everyday routines and experiences (patterns). In the short vignette in the beginning, Will builds on Maya's concept of more by feeding her more food. He also introduces a new math concept, "all gone." Math is all around us; math talk brings it out and makes it known.
Infants and toddlers are natural mathematicians. Even without adult support, we see infants and toddlers using math concepts to make sense of their world. For example, infants signal they want more food, as Maya does. More is...