Making Waves with Math

“Catch a wave and you’re sitting on top of the world.” ~The Beach Boys

Last month I wrote about developmental waves related to language and early literacy. I shared how my little one and I created learning opportunities at the beach. We explored storytelling by the seaside. This month the topic relates to how young children develop and learn math skills.

Families can play a role in their child’s math development. I had a chance to talk about this topic on my University of Wyoming College of Education podcast episode #3 entitled, “Working with Families.” I shared some of the research my colleagues and I have been doing, as well as practice oriented strategies to partner with families of children. Math opportunities could also be embedded into activities like a day at the beach or children’s familiar routines. While playing with toes on feet, we could embed math concepts. For example, we could count toes on each foot and create playful moments with storytelling.

Developmental waves with math occur during familiar routines, play, and small and/or large group activities. Embedded learning opportunities could be planned or spontaneous. Learning opportunities could be child-directed or adult-directed. There are many ways we can teach children who are developing their math skills. University of Wyoming professor of mathematics, Dr. Scott Chamberlin, spoke about how math skills could be taught on the BUTTERCUP podcast episode. Curriculum of all types can be considered for supporting math learning in young children. For example, the AEPS-3 has a Math area can be used with a curriculum and assessment.

Early childhood professionals can support children’s math development by using a high quality curriculum-based assessment that has undergone research. The AEPS-3 incorporates authentic assessment in math with a companion curriculum to teach the targeted skills for children with and without disabilities. There are crosswalks created for state early learning standards, For an example of how Wyoming state learning standards align with the CBA see the Wyoming math alignment here (click). https://aepsinteractive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/AEPS-3-Wyoming-Early-Learning-Standards_FINAL.pdf

For other state math alignments, see website. If you’re interested, click on the link below that will take you to the math blog I wrote about the AEPS-3 for Brookes Publishing. Link to Math information here: How AEPS-3 Supports Early Math Skills in Young Children.

When my daughter was in kindergarten she came home from school one day with a self-portrait entitled, “Math About Me.” It was a life size cut out of her holding a poster. On the self-portrait poster it showed how she saw herself portrayed in math concepts. She personally represented math ideas (e.g.., like how many?) and what they meant to her. Here are the six ideas that were represented on her hand drawn poster:

·      I am 6 years old.

3+3=6

5+1=6

4+2=6

6+0=6

·      I was born on this day….

·      I have ___ pets.

·      There are ____ people in my family.

·      My favorite number is 3.

1+2=3

3+0=3

·      I have lost 3 teeth so far.

The Montessori approach has many ways to create math learning. Dr. Maria Montessori was trained in Rome to become a medical doctor. Her early work was with children who were experiencing homelessness, as well as children with delays/disabilities. Her philosophy of education was revolutionary at the time, and she believed children had a right to high quality early learning experiences.

While I was in Italy, I had a chance to visit preschoolers in a municipal Montessori school. Children were learning about math using Montessori materials with their trained Montessorian teachers as shown in some pictures below.

Preschoolers in a municipal Montessori school in Italy exploring math concepts.

Montessori materials in a municipal Montessori school in Italy.

Montessori materials in a municipal Montessori school in Italy.

Preschoolers in a municipal Montessori school in Italy exploring math concepts.

Preschoolers in a municipal Montessori school in Italy exploring math concepts.

Preschoolers in a municipal Montessori school in Italy exploring math concepts.

A picture of Dr. Maria Montessori hangs in every classroom at the municipal Montessori school I visited in Northern Italy.

Two educators, Fred Rogers and Loris Malaguzzi, must have also had a love of numbers. Mr. Rogers, from United States, had his #143. It was his way of saying, “I love you” with math.

1 (I)

4 (love)

3 (you)

Loris Malaguzzi, from Italy, is known for his famous poem, “No Way. The Hundred Is There.” Some of the lines from his poem are:

“…a hundred languages

a hundred hands

a hundred thoughts

a hundred ways of thinking

of playing, of speaking.”

1+4+3= Fred Rogers

💯 + 💯 + 💯 + 💯 and 💯 more = Loris Malaguzzi

For the love of numbers and children, why not make some waves with math moments today.

“Children are NOW!”

It happened. The year that brought so much unhappiness to many people around the globe has passed. Goodbye, 2020. Hello, 2021. They say, “Time heals all wounds.” Hopefully, over time the suffering and pain from 2020 will subside. Hopeful for the future. One of my favorite Italian words that reflects this sense of hope is avanti—full steam ahead.

During the global pandemic I had the privilege of learning from people from around the world about issues impacting young children and their families resulting from COVID-19. The diverse group was brought together by UNESCO. An advocate for children’s rights and humanitarian issues, Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands said, “Children are NOW!” She said she was fed up with people saying, “children are the future.” I am hopeful NOW for the road ahead, because I know how resilient we are. Children are NOW!

HRH Laurentien of the Netherlands

In addition to child advocates, filmmakers have done incredible work to help better understand children NOW. If you’re interested in checking out their films which explore child development, I’ve got three to share with you.

1. “Becoming You”

2. “Babies”

3. “7Up”

“Becoming You” is available on Apple+ and released in 2020. This docuseries focuses on the first 2,000 days of life. The Becoming You series is directed by the creative brain of Tom Barbor-Might. His cinematic skills takes us on a visually stunning journey. Becoming You is narrated by Olivia Colman who plays the Queen in the “Crown.” There is one season of Becoming You with a total of six episodes which I’ve described next and indicated how long the episode runs.

1.     Who am I? (39 minutes)

2.     Moving (43 minutes)

3.     Making Friends (43 minutes)

4.     Feeling (41 minutes)

5.     Talking (41 minutes)

6.     Thinking (41 minutes)

All six episodes of Becoming You are fabulous but my favorite is the one about talking. Check it out and learn about the “Seuss boost,” what the brain thinks about rhymes, multilingualism, how deaf families use hand babbling with their babies learning sign language, and the amazing little girl named Riley who is from South Florida. My friend told me about this resource. I hope you tell your friends too. Thank you for always thinking of me to pass on this cool stuff, Tonya Schadle.

“Babies” is available on Netflix and released in 2020. This docuseries is focused on research related to child development. The latest and state-of-the-art research is presented in an interesting way with relevant information parents and early childhood educators can use. Like the Becoming You docuseries, the Babies docuseries will take you around the World to gorgeous countries. In addition to the on-location sites, Babies and Becoming You will introduce you to the most precious children and their families. What a treat to meet these people who are sharing their homes, culture, and languages with us viewers. There are two seasons of Babies with a total of twelve episodes which I’ve described next and indicated how long the episode runs.

Part 1.

1.     Love (48 minutes)

2.     First Food (52 minutes)

3.     Crawling (53 minutes)

4.     First Words (51 minutes)

5.     Sleep (49 minutes)

6.     First Steps (50 minutes)

Part 2.

1.     What Babies Know (55 minutes)

2.     Movement (53 minutes)

3.     Senses (50 minutes)

4.     Relationships (52 minutes)

5.     Nature and Nurture (47 minutes)

6.     Toddlers (46 minutes)

“7Up” is available on Amazon and/or other places where you get your documentaries. The Up Series is directed by Michael Apted who sadly died on Friday at the age of 79. Apted started this series in 1964. He and his team followed the same children over time into adulthood. Every 7 years the conversations with participants would pick up where it left off. We get to know 14 British children who are interviewed by Apted in seven year intervals. There are multiple episodes of the Up Series which I’ve described next and indicated how long the episode runs.

1.     1964 – 7 Up (31 minutes)

2.     1970 – 14 Up (53 minutes)

3.     1977 – 21 Up (100 minutes)

4.     1984 – 28 Up (40 minutes) Part 1

5.     1984 – 28 Up (62 minutes) Part 2

6.     1984 – 28 Up (74 minutes) Part 3

7.     1991 – 35 Up (116 minutes)

8.     1998 – 42 Up (134 minutes)

9.     2005 – 49 Up (136 minutes)

10.2012 – 56 Up (47 minutes) Part 1

11.2012 – 56 Up (47 minutes) Part 2

12.2012 – 56 Up (50 minutes) Part 3

13.2019 – 63 Up (47 minutes)

I first started watching the Up Series when I was a graduate student at the University of Oregon in the early 2000s. One of my professors recommended it to me when we were discussing longitudinal research designs. I was hooked.

“Becoming You,” “Babies,” and “7Up” examine issues related to early childhood development. Do yourself a favor and take a master class by watching one, two, or all these fantastic docuseries in 2021. What will we do with what we know? We must address the needs of young children NOW. Avanti!

Child Find via Mail

Today is my last blog of a four-part series on Child Find activities that are virtual and/or remote. Last month (September), I wrote about doing a virtual home visit for Child Find. In July, I wrote about how to do Child Find using an online system. In May, I wrote about using a phone for Child Find efforts.

The previous three Child Find virtual/remote activities involved some form of technology and/or electronics.  Good old fashioned snail mail will be today’s topic for conducting Child Find when face-to-face options are unavailable, unsafe, or unrealistic.

Connecting children with services is a critical concern in the face of the global pandemic resulting from the Coronavirus. Child Find is a system that focuses on early identification of delays and/or disabilities in children. In America, Child Find has been in existence since 1975 when Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children’s Act was passed by congress. Today we call this law the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The intent of IDEA Child Find is, “to create and implement a system to actively locate…children with disabilities.” There are many ways to actively locate children who may be eligible for IDEA services due to a delay or disability. One way is through developmental screening through the postal system or mail delivery.

If someone close to the child (e.g., parent, family member, familiar caregiver) has a concern, they can contact their local provider(s) who could follow up on their concern by conducting a developmental screening assessment  via mail. Yes, I said mail. Remember envelopes, stamps, and paper?!?! Are you thinking this sounds outdated? Maybe. Maybe not.

Professionals conducting Child Find efforts from a distance may find the postal service a useful tool as an alternative to face-to-face options. A procedure for Child Find by mail would be where staff mail a developmental questionnaire to the child’s address on record. Parent(s) and/or familiar caregiver(s) complete the developmental questionnaire and mail back to the staff or central location for scoring and feedback.

Special considerations should be made for children and families experiencing homelessness. Three other considerations are: (a) provide postage so parents do not have to worry about paying to mail the return envelope to the Child Find professional, (b) have the correct mailing address for families, and (c) keep in mind that this method of Child Find takes time for deliveries and there could be problems with sending and receiving the physical mail from the postal service. Return rates for questionnaires can be increased with a variety of strategies, for example making reminder phone calls to parents and sending a second questionnaire and reminder if the first one isn’t returned.

For more information, check out the Child Find book (above) and/or a webinar I made called “Child Find: Identifying Children for IDEA Services in a Remote and Virtual Context.” I made this webinar for the Brookes Coffee Chat series and it is now available on demand at the following link:

https://brookespublishing.com/resource-library/child-find-identifying-children-for-idea-services-in-a-remote-and-virtual-context/

Child Find Using Phone

Connecting children with services they need is a concern in the face of the global pandemic resulting from Covid-19. Child Find is a system that focuses on early identification of delays and/or disabilities in children.

In America, Child Find has been in existence since 1975 when P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children’s Act, was passed by congress. Today we call this law the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The intent of IDEA Child Find is, “to create and implement a system to actively locate…children with disabilities.” There are many ways to actively locate children who may be eligible for IDEA services due to a delay or disability. One way is through developmental screening over the phone.

If someone close to the child (e.g., parent, family member, familiar caregiver) has a concern, they can contact their local provider(s) who could follow up on their concern by conducting a developmental screening assessment with them over the phone. A phone interview would consist of the professional using their developmental screening instrument to guide them in asking questions over the phone.

Questions are derived from the screener. Questions from the developmental screening instrument could be filled out by the professional based on answers provided over the phone by the person familiar with the child.

Considerations for using the phone to conduct developmental screening include: (a) arrange a time for the phone interview that is optimal for parent(s), (b)  allow for the possibility for the child to participate in the phone interview because the parent may need time to interact with the child in order to determine if the child can do a skill, and (c) conduct the interview in the family’s preferred language.

Once the interview is finished the professional could score the screening while the parent is still on the phone and share results, or scoring could be done later and results shared at another time.

Follow up is a critical part of the process and should be done in a timely manner. Follow up with the parent with results of the screening assessment. Share resources and recommendations for next steps.

The phone interview is a strategy that can be used when a remote context is needed like during a quarantine. However, a phone interview strategy to conduct IDEA Child Find can be used anytime when a phone interview can help screen children.

For more information check out this webinar called “Child Find: Identifying Children for IDEA Services in a Remote and Virtual Context.” I made this webinar for the Brookes Coffee Chat series and it is now available on demand at the following link:

https://brookespublishing.com/resource-library/child-find-identifying-children-for-idea-services-in-a-remote-and-virtual-context/

Animals Strike Curious Poses

One day physicist Dr. Helen Czerski visited a pond in Winchester in the south of England. She noticed a little girl asking her mother a curious question. The child wanted to know why the duck she was observing didn’t get cold feet. Hmmm… Young children are naturally inquisitive about their surroundings and they ask awesome questions! Their sense of inquiry comes natural to them. I have visited many early childhood classrooms to observe my student teachers. I try not to be seen. I prefer to be like a fly on the wall, however young children usually want to know who I am and why I am there. They generally notice when something is out of place in the environment. Children are relentless seekers of information. Adults can support children by being responsive to their inquiry. We can even try being more like children by following some age-old advice from Jane Austen, “indulge your imagination in every possible flight” (Austen, 1813- Pride and Prejudice).

Abecedarian

The term “abecedarian” means to learn the rudiments of something, or alphabetical arrangement. In educational circles, the Abecedarian Project refers to a study which explores the impact of early childhood education on babies who were born between 1972 and 1977. Researchers have been following the babies across their lifespan to determine the impact early childhood educational opportunities have on them. I am so lucky to be able to talk with interesting, smart, and charismatic leaders on our Buttercup iTunes show. Recently, I got a chance to talk with Dr. Craig Ramey who pioneered the legendary Abecedarian Project on episode 10 of the BUTTERCUP podcast.

It is amazing to me how researchers can conduct longitudinal studies without losing participants over time. Attrition, or participants dropping out of a study, can be a problem in research. When I asked Dr. Ramey about this he said that as a researcher he tries to share his appreciation for their contribution and treat participants with respect. He and his team do things like send birthday and holiday greeting cards to participants. The work he and his team do to maintain participation by the people in their study has proven a successful strategy because the babies are turning 45 years old this year and are still participating in the Abecedarian Project.

Thank you to Drs. Craig and Sharon Ramey and all involved in the Abecedarian study for your major contribution to child development research. Check out the podcast to hear Dr. Ramey discuss the interesting things they have found about the importance of early childhood education, as well as implications for policy development. http://www.marisamacy.com/podcast/

Dr. Craig Ramey

Time

I can make a proper French onion soup, or onion soup gratinée. Thank you, CIA! The main ingredients are simple—onions and chicken broth. Oh and sherry! The soup’s flavor comes from time. In order to develop the correct flavor, the onions need to cook slowly so they can become caramelized and acquire a deep rich color like espresso. Care needs to be taken so the onions don’t burn.

Gratinée means browned. The brown coloring comes from the onions being scraped on the pot with a wooden spoon for about an hour. Chicken (NOT beef) broth is poured over the onions once they have reached perfection.

Many cooks take a shortcut when making onion soup by using brown beef stock (for the color) instead of chicken stock. Shortcuts can save time. Shortcuts can sometimes make life easier. Shortcuts do not lead to optimal outcomes. 

A professor of mine at the University of Oregon once wrote an article about the tyranny of time. He showed how missed opportunities for students in special education can have a significant outcome on child well being and school success. The earlier we can address a child's needs can make a big difference for the child and his/her family.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has a component called Child Find where it is the lead agency's responsibility to locate children eligible for services in a timely manner. No shortcuts, please. Early identification of a delay or disability is of paramount importance in the lives of little ones. Time matters in childhood. 

Macy making onion soup gratinée at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA)