Quality interactions for mathematics learning: how early childhood teachers enact a suite of play-based mathematics activities with children aged from three to five years

© 2013 Dr. Caroline Susan CohrssenThe Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (EYLF; DEEWR, 2009) requires early childhood educators to implement a play-based curriculum to teach children mathematical ideas in the years before school. Many early childhood educators report anxiety about their own mathematical knowledge and uncertainty about how to go about meeting this requirement of the framework. This implementation study used a mixed-methods, multiple case study approach to investigate how different early childhood educators implemented a packaged suite of play-based mathematics activities with 122 children aged from three to five years. Six early childhood educators agreed to present one activity from the provided suite of activities each day to a small group of children. Data were derived from educators’ self-reported implementation records, semi-structured interviews with participants at three points over a seven-month period, and video-recordings of educators presenting a play-based mathematics activity. Video-recordings were transcribed and analysed using Conversation Analysis. Assessments of pedagogical quality were made at room level and at group level at the start and end of the study. Children were assessed using selected tests of cognitive ability and achievement from the Woodcock-Johnson III at the start and end of the implementation phase. Findings demonstrate that systematic and repeated use of the suite of play-based mathematics activities is associated with teachers’ increased mathematics confidence, and higher quality emotional support and instructional support. Woodcock-Johnson III Concept Formation W scores obtained at the start and end of the seven month-implementation phase show that frequent use of the play-based activities was also associated with a significant increase in children’s learning outcomes. In addition, the systematic and purposeful use of a curriculum (activities, pedagogical strategies and mathematical language) supports the sequential and child-appropriate incorporation of mathematical concepts in an early childhood program. Consistency across settings in quality and frequency of mathematics teaching facilitates a positive and more equitable learning trajectory for all children