Examining Associations between Classroom Environment and Processes and Early Mathematics Performance from Pre-Kindergarten to Kindergarten

Authors

Victoria J. Molfese, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
E. Todd Brown, University of LouisvilleFollow
Jill L. Adelson, University of LouisvilleFollow
Jennifer Beswick, University of LouisvilleFollow
Jill L. Jacobi-Vessels, University of LouisvilleFollow
Lana Thomas
Melissa Ferguson
Brittany Culver

Date of this Version

2012

Citation

Gifted Children: Vol. 5 : Iss. 2 , Article 2.

Comments

Open access

Abstract

One benefit of the No Child Left Behind legislation (2001) has been the increasing attention on the importance of the skills learned in the pre-kindergarten period for later academic achievement (Denton & West, 2002; National Mathematics Advisory Panel, 2008; Whitehurst, 2001). There is a growing awareness that mathematics skills in kindergarten and beyond are influenced by the formal and informal mathematics skills acquired in the pre-kindergarten classroom. Indeed, policy makers, researchers, and educators are now arguing that pre-kindergarten mathematics instruction must be recognized as a critical factor affecting young children’s mathematics learning at school age (Ginsburg, Lee & Boyd, 2008). The National Mathematics Advisory Panel's final report (2008) has recommended using a research-based, streamlined mathematics curriculum in pre-kindergarten to give children a strong start in conceptual understanding of mathematics. In addition, the National Association for the Education of Young Children and National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (2002) issued a joint statement affirming the importance of high quality, challenging, and accessible mathematics instruction in broad areas of number, operations, geometry, measurement, and algebra.