Workshop Developing Mathematical Roots at the Early Childhood Levels

Day 1 – July 9, 2025: Numbers & Classroom Foundation

Dive deep into number concepts while mastering the art of classroom organization. Understand how children progress through mathematical learning trajectories, and learn to make informed teaching decisions that support this development. We’ll explore how play-based learning can be strategically implemented to reinforce number sense, all while creating an efficient and engaging math environment. Through hands-on practice, discover effective assessment strategies that reveal each student’s position along the learning trajectory, enabling you to plan targeted instructional moves that advance their understanding.

Day 2 – July 10, 2025: Geometry & Measurement

Unlock the untapped potential of geometry and measurement instruction. Most classrooms barely scratch the surface of these rich mathematical domains. Together, we’ll explore the profound underlying concepts and discover how they interconnect. Learn to identify the big ideas that drive deeper understanding and how to scaffold them effectively. You’ll develop strategies for creating differentiated learning experiences that challenge advanced students while supporting those who need extra guidance. We’ll practice assessment techniques that go beyond traditional testing, helping you identify precisely where each student stands in their geometric and measurement understanding. These insights will empower you to make informed decisions about next steps in instruction and differentiation. Leave with a renewed appreciation for the depth these topics offer and concrete plans for implementing more meaningful geometric and measurement explorations.

Day 3 – July 11, 2025: Understanding Operation Structures

Move beyond traditional addition and subtraction drills to explore the fundamental structures underlying these operations. We’ll examine how children naturally understand these concepts through play and physical experiences, then learn to bridge these natural understandings to mathematical representation. Through hands-on exploration, discover how to build a robust progression from acting out mathematical situations to using concrete manipulatives, then moving to pictorial representations, before finally transitioning to abstract number work. Learn why rushing to abstract calculations without these crucial foundational connections can hinder deep mathematical understanding. Master observation and assessment strategies that reveal students’ operational understanding at each stage of development – from enacted to abstract. These assessment insights will guide you in providing the right support at the right time, ensuring each child builds solid conceptual foundations before advancing to more complex ideas.