Mathematics in The Creative Curriculum for Preschool
Young children are eager to explore mathematical ideas and often have an informal understanding of certain concepts by the time they get to preschool. They are interested in numbers, shapes, sizes, and patterns, and use mathematics during play to make sense of their world. Many of their made-up games involve comparing, stacking, sorting, and counting.
The Creative Curriculum® for Preschool helps teachers provide the ideal setting for such purposeful play--a setting that will support all children's mathematics learning in an engaging and meaningful way. It describes the following key components of mathematics:
- number concepts
- patterns and relationships
- geometry and spatial sense
- measurement
- data collection, organization, and representation
To help children learn these key components, The Creative Curriculum® for Preschool integrates mathematics process skills throughout the curriculum. These important skills include reasoning, problem solving, communication, connections, and representations.
In addition to the mathematics experiences that are integrated into the curriculum, we offer a variety of additional resources that will help you create a classroom of children who are confident mathematics learners.
Mathematics: The Creative Curriculum® Approach
Mathematics: The Creative Curriculum® Approach helps teachers fully understand the mathematical concepts and skills they will be teaching and shows them how to purposefully incorporate mathematics learning into their daily routines.
In addition to providing specific instructions for 39 structured math activities for large groups, small groups, and individual children, Mathematics offers guidance on incorporating mathematics into interest areas and suggests how to scaffold children's learning in each area.
Highlights
- Teaching number and operation concepts, geometry, data analysis, measurement, and patterns
- Teaching reasoning, problem solving, communication, connections, and representations
- Incorporating mathematics learning into interest areas, routines, and transition times
- Planning the mathematics program
- Adapting instruction for children who are English-language learners and children with disabilities
The Creative Curriculum® for Preschool Math Kits
Children learn many things when they play games, explore ideas, and manipulate objects--including mathematical concepts. Teachers can take advantage of this natural inquisitiveness and build a mathematics-rich preschool environment with The Creative Curriculum® Math Kits. Created in partnership with Kaplan Early Learning Company, these kits feature high quality materials chosen by experts to stimulate children's thinking and inspire them to solve problems, reason, and communicate.
Each kit contains materials and children's books that will help teachers implement the instructional activities and strategies described in Mathematics: The Creative Curriculum® Approach. Teachers can also use the kits to enhance classroom interest areas with mathematics materials that engage children's interest and entice them to explore on their own.