Jennifer McCray, director of Erikson Institute's Early Mathematics Education Project, addresses the myths about early math and explains the complex processes young children face when learning numbers and counting.
Bio
Jennifer McCray
Dr. Jennifer McCray is a specialist in cognitive development, teacher knowledge and training, and early mathematics. She has 10 years experience providing professional development to Chicago Public Schools and Head Start teachers in the City of Chicago.
Her work on pedagogical content knowledge for teaching preschool mathematics won the 2009 Outstanding Dissertation Award for the Division of Teaching and Teacher Education of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and the 2009 Merrill Pearson Outstanding Dissertation Award from the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (NAECTE).
For me at this point in my learning journey as a school psychologist there are important connections to be made between this presentation and the work of Professor Reuven Feuerstein which has directly influenced the 'Bright Start cognitive curriculum for young children' by Haywood, Brooks & Burns in the US; and also 'the basic concepts programme - a programme for young children who experience learning difficulties in the Foundation Phase' by Louis Benjamin in South Africa;
Also relevant is Magne Nyborg and Andreas Hansen's 'Concept Teaching Model - A curriculum for the teaching of Basic Concepts (BCS) and related Basic Concepts in kindergarten and primary school' - from Norway and since 2008 an obligatory part of their curriculum.