“¿De qué otra forma lo podemos hacer?” The elevation of cognitive demand in preschool

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 9:45 am - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Investigating the Experiences of Students, Teachers, and Coaches in Early Childhood Mathematics

Abstract

Students’ opportunities to learn are shaped by the kinds of mathematical tasks with which they are invited to engage. However, research consistently demonstrates that high-level tasks often decline in their implementation. This paper explores a different possibility – that a low-level task can be elevated in ways that provide multiple entry points and solutions, connect varied representations, leverage students’ communicative and linguistic resources, and foster creativity and problem solving. We provide an illustrative example from a preschool mathematics lesson in which children are supported to generate creative solutions and to make meaningful connections across multiple representations of quantity.

Authors

• Nicholas C. Johnson, San Diego State University

• Carlos Alejandro de Alba, San Diego State University