Editor’s Note

For comments on this article, read Herbert P. Ginsburg on misconceptions about mastering early math: Gene I. Maeroff on the small miracles of learning math; and Cathy Seeley on achievement differences and the math curriculum.

Volume 23, Number 2
March/April 2007

“Doing the Critical Things First”

An interview with Sharon Griffin on an aligned approach to preK and early elementary math

By CAROLINE T. CHAUNCEY

“Doing the Critical Things First”, continued



Sharon Griffin is an associate professor of education and psychology at Clark University and author of the Number Worlds curriculum for teaching number sense in the preK and elementary years. In this interview with the Harvard Education Letter, Griffin discusses what cognitive science can teach us about aligning preK and early elementary curriculum and teaching methods with the natural development of children’s mathematical thinking.

This article is part of an ongoing series on the education of children from preK through grade 3, made possible through the support of the Foundation for Child Development.

This is an excerpt from the Harvard Education Letter. Subscribers can click here to continue reading this article. Click here to become a subscriber.

Sharon Griffin is an associate professor of education and psychology at Clark University and author of the Number Worlds curriculum for teaching number sense in the preK and elementary years. In this interview with the Harvard Education Letter, Griffin discusses what cognitive science can teach us about aligning preK and early elementary curriculum and teaching methods with the natural development of children’s mathematical thinking.

This article is part of an ongoing series on the education of children from preK through grade 3, made possible through the support of the Foundation for Child Development.

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Also by this Author

For Further Information

S. Griffin. “The Development of Math Competence in the Preschool and Early School Years: Cognitive Foundations and Instructional Strategies.” In J.M. Royer, ed., Mathematical Cognition: Current Perspectives on Cognition, Learning, and Instruction. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing, 2002.

S. Griffin. “Fostering the Development of Whole-Number Sense: Teaching Mathematics in the Primary Grades.” In M.S. Donovan and J.D. Bransford, eds., How Students Learn: History, Mathematics, and Science in the Classroom. Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 2005.

S. Griffin. “Teaching Number Sense: The Cognitive Sciences Offer Insights into How Young Students Can Best Learn Math.” Educational Leadership February 2004, vol. 61, no. 5.

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. “Curriculum Focal Points for Prekindergarten through Grade 8 Mathematics.

Number Worlds http://clarku.edu/numberworlds/