Teaching and Learning Early Number

Section 1: Setting the scene for teaching and learning early number

1. Still not getting it right from the start?
Carol Aubrey and Dondu Durmaz

Section 2: The early stages of number acquisition

2. Children’s beliefs about counting
Penny Munn

3. Mathematics through play
Kate Tucker

4. The family counts
Rose Griffiths

Section 3: The place of counting in number development

5. Development in oral counting, enumeration, and counting for cardinality
John Threlfall

6. Counting: what it is and why it matters
Effie Maclellan

7. Compressing the counting process: strength from the flexible interpretation of symbols
Eddie Gray

Section 4: Extending counting to calculating

8. From counting to deriving number facts
Ian Thompson

9. Uses of counting in multiplication and division
Julia Anghileri

Section 5: Representation and calculation

10. Children's mathematical graphics: young children calculating for meaning
Elizabeth Carruthers and Maulfry Worthington

11. What do young children’s mathematical graphics tell us about the teaching of written calculation?
Ian Thompson

12. What’s in a picture? Understanding and representation in early mathematics
Tony Harries, Patrick Barmby and Jennifer Suggate

13. Mathematical learning and the use of information and communications technology in the early years
Steve Higgins

Section 6: Assessing young children’s progress in number

14. Interview-based assessment of early number knowledge
Robert J. Wright

15. Addressing errors and misconceptions with young children
Ian Thompson

Section 7: Towards an early years mathematics pedagogy

16. ‘How do you teach nursery children mathematics?’ In search of a mathematics pedagogy for the early years
Sue Gifford

"This richly varied text offers generous support for every aspect of the teacher's role, while constantly reminding us that mathematical activity is not a de-contextualised skill that children possess, but part of their identity, their way of being in the world, engaged with the world, energetically - and playfully - trying to make sense of it."
Mary Jane Drummond, formerly of the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, UK

Teaching and Learning Early Number is a bestselling guide for all trainee and practising Early Years teachers and classroom assistants. It provides an accessible guide to a wide range of research evidence about the teaching and learning of early number.

Major changes in the primary mathematics curriculum over the last decade - such as the National Numeracy Strategy, the Primary National Strategy, the Early Years Foundation Stage and the Williams Review - have greatly influenced the structure of this new edition. The book includes:

• A new introductory chapter to set the scene
• Six further new chapters - including Mathematics through play, Children's mathematical graphics and Interview-based assessment of early number knowledge
• Six completely re-written chapters and two updated chapters
• A new concluding chapter looking to the future

The chapters can be read in a standalone fashion and many are cross referenced to other parts of the book where specific ideas are dealt with in a different manner. Issues addressed include: new research on the complex process of counting and on children's written mathematical marks; counting in the home environment and play in the school setting; the importance of mathematical representations and of ICT in children's understanding of number; errors and misconceptions and the assessment of children’s number knowledge.