Welcome to Math & Science!

Children at a very young age acquire and continue to build math and science skills.

Science and mathematics are necessary in a child’s exploration of their world – helping them make sense of their physical and social environments. Math and science exploration provides opportunity to practice reflection, prediction, and hypothesizing. These problem-solving strategies help children test new ideas and develop understanding of math and science concepts.

Wherefore Art Thou, Math?  

According to a 2005 study of six state-funded pre-K programs, only about 14% of the children's time was spent in math instruction.(1) Teachers/providers have not had the same support for teaching math as they've had with literacy. Awareness of how to foster early reading and writing skills may be more widespread now than ever before thanks to well known, well marketed efforts like RIF (Reading is Fundamental), Reading Rockets, and federally sponsored initiatives like Early Reading First. More attention, better results: “By first grade, some 60% of students receiving reading instruction spent more than 90 minutes per day working on lessons or projects in language arts – more than 10 times the percentage for any other subject, including mathematics.” (2)

Overall, math skills of Washington students have been lackluster: only 51% of the state's high school students passed the 10 th grade math skills test in 2005. And nearly half of Washington students enrolling in 2 year colleges must take remedial math courses.(3) So the 2006 Washington Learns final report set a goal of “More children ready for school, as measured by a kindergarten readiness assessment. More children will be interested in math and science, and see its relevance to their lives.” DEL (Department of Early Learning), OSPI (Office of Supt. of Public Instruction) and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges were given until July 2008 to produce these curricula.

But you don't have to wait another year! Check out recent research findings on:

• Babies mathematicians
• Number sense present at pre-verbal stage
• Is math intuition inborn?
• How young children acquire math & science concepts

Sources:

1. National Center for Early Development and Learning “NCEDL Pre-K Study” Early Developments” (Spring 2005)
2. National Center for Educational Statistics Issue Brief “Instructional Focus in First Grade” (March 2006)
3. Social and Economic Sciences Research Center , “Washington State Graduate Follow up Study(2004)