Early math skills are the strongest predictor of later academic achievement more than early literacy or social emotional development. Playing early math games can help narrow the achievement gap. It is important for early math to not just be worksheets, flashcards, or drills, but seeing patterns, playing games, building with blocks, and talking about math. Some effective early math games include board games that help children transition from logarithmic to linear thinking about numbers, tablet and transmedia games with initial best practices, and interventions with physical and electronic games which show significant results for low socioeconomic status students.

1. Playing with Early Math
to Narrow the Achievement Gap

2. Why Math in Early Childhood?

3. 
Why Early Math?
PISA 2012 – US is below the international average in
math. Overall, the 15 year olds who attended
preprimary education tend to have higher scores.
PISA 2012 In Focus 40 – Does pre-primary education reach those who need it most?
Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisaproducts/pisainfocus/pisa-in-focus-n40-(eng)-final.pdf

4. 
Why Early Math?
Early math skills were the strongest predictor of later
academic achievement, more so than early literacy
or early social emotional development.
Duncan, G.J., Dowsett, C.J., Claessens, A., Magnuson, K., Huston, A.C., Klebanov, P., Pagani, L.S., Feinstein, L., Engel, M., Brooks-Gunn, J.,
Sexton, H., Duckworth, K., and Japel, C. (2007). School readiness and later achievement. Developmental Psychology, 43(6).
Retrieved from http://www.ncpat.org/blockfest/assets/docs/duncan-et-al_school-readiness-math.pdf

5. What is Early Math?

6. 
What is Early Math?
It is NOT worksheets, flashcards, or drill & kill!

7. 
What is Early Math?
It is seeing patterns in the world, playing games,
building with blocks, and 'talking math'.

8. What kinds of games?

9. 
Early Math Games Highlights
Board games – moving from logarithmic to linear
thinking about numbers.
Ramani, G., & Siegler, R.S. (2008). Promoting broad and stableimprovementsin low-incomechildren’snumerical knowledgethrough playing
number board games. Child Development 79, 375–394.
Retrieved from http://www.psy.cmu.edu/~siegler/Ram-Sieg2008.pdf

10. 
Early Math Games Highlights
Tablet & transmedia games – some initial best
practices and good results.
Presser, A. L., Vahey, P., & Zanchi, C. (2013, 24-27 June). Designing early childhood math games: a research-driven approach. Paper
presented at the International Conference on Interaction Design and Children (IDC 2013), New York, NY
Retrieved from http://cct.edc.org/sites/cct.edc.org/files/publications/IDC%20Short%20Paper%202013_FinalpaperSUBMITTEDv3.pdf
McCarthy, B., Li, L., Tiu, M., & Atienza, S. (2013, 24-27 June) PBS KIDS Transmedia Suites in Preschool Homes. Paper presented at
the International Conference on Interaction Design and Children (IDC 2013), New York, NY
Retrieved from http://www.wested.org/online_pubs/resource1283B.pdf

11. More info...
Twitter: @earlymath
Teresa Gonczy - teresaeg@gmail.com

12. 
Early Math Games Highlights
Interventions involving physical and electronic early
math games show significant results for low SES
students – Building Blocks
Clements, D. H., & Sarama, J. (2007). Effects of a preschool mathematics curriculum: Summative research on the Building Blocks Project. Journal
for Research in Mathematics Education, 38, 136–163.
Retrieved from http://gse.buffalo.edu/fas/clements/files/clements_bb_jrme.pdf