Examining the Early Math Education Landscape in California’s Transitional Kindergarten

• In Event: AERA Research in Progress Roundtable Session One
  In Invited Roundtable: Research-in-Progress RT015 (Wednesday)

Abstract

Children who enter kindergarten with strong math skills gain an early advantage over peers with weaker skills (Duncan et al., 2007; Watts et al., 2014). Gaps can appear as early as kindergarten, thus making early intervention critical. As Transitional Kindergarten (TK) programs have become standard in California, skill gaps can be identified and filled earlier. Because TK is so new, little is known about TK teachers’ preparation to teach early math content. This study examines the methods teachers use to teach math in TK and how state guidelines affect their implementation of TK math standards.

Authors

• Jetta McPhee, University of California - Berkeley

• Dana Miller-Cotto, University of California - Berkeley