The report coincides with growing concern in South Africa about the persistently poor performance of children in mathematics. The authors are Cally Kühne of UCT; and Shelley O'Carroll, Brigid Comrie and Rebecca Hickman of Wordworks, a non-profit organisation.
Kühne, a senior education specialist at UCT's Schools Development Unit (SDU), said: "Historically, the purpose and importance of mathematics learning in the early years has not been properly understood or valued in South Africa. This is in part because there is a lack of a general understanding about how mathematical ideas and skills are developed between birth and five years."
The authors argue that part of the solution is ensuring that the right foundations for learning are laid in the period before children begin formal schooling.
"We wanted to help fill this knowledge gap by producing a report that explains early maths concepts in straightforward terms, and sets out the kinds of simple activities and methods that preschool teachers and parents can use to support learning," said Kühne.
O'Carroll said: "It's important to understand that we're not talking about formal teaching or sitting children in rows to teach them maths during these early years. The types of activities that we describe should be a part of everyday life. Most do not require specialist resources and can be delivered as easily in homes as they can in preschools. Parents have a vital role to play, and we hope that this report will help to empower them to support the early maths learning of their children."
"Much More Than Counting" sets out learning milestones and practical activities for different age groups. The report is aimed at all those involved in the early childhood development (ECD) sphere and anyone who is concerned about mathematics education. It will be a particularly useful resource for ECD practitioners, trainers and planners, as well as parents, caregivers and home visitors.
The study was funded by the DG Murray Trust (DGMT), following the successful publication last year of Wordworks' Narrowing the Literacy Gap report, which focused on language and literacy development in the early years.
The report is available at www.sdu.uct.ac.za, www.wordworks.org.za or www.dgmt.co.za.
