Mathematics and Transition to School

This edited book brings together for the first time an international collection of work focused on two important aspects of any young child’s life – learning mathematics and starting primary or elementary school. The chapters take a variety of perspectives, and integrate these two components in sometimes explicit and sometimes more subtle ways.

The key issues and themes explored in this book are:

• the mathematical and other strengths that all participants in the transition to school bring to this period of a child’s life;
• the opportunities provided by transition to school for young children’s mathematics learning;
• the importance of partnerships among adults, and among adults and children, for effective school transitions and mathematics learning and teaching;
• the critical impact of expectations on their mathematics learning as children start school;
• the importance of providing children with meaningful, challenging and relevant mathematical experiences throughout transition to school;
• the entitlement of children and educators to experience assessment and instructional pedagogies that match the strengths of the learners and the teachers;
• the importance for the aspirations of children, families, communities, educators and educational organisations to be recognised as legitimate and key determinants of actions, experiences and successes in both transition to school and mathematics learning; and
• the belief that young children are powerful mathematics learners who can demonstrate this power as they start school.

In each chapter, authors reflect on their work in the area of mathematics and transition to school, place that work within the overall context of research in these fields, predict the trajectory of this work in the future, and consider the implications of the work both theoretically and practically.

Bob Perry is Professor of Mathematics Education in the School of Education and the Research Institute for Professional Practice, Learning and Education at Charles Sturt University, Albury, Australia. Bob’s research interests include powerful mathematics ideas in preschool and the first years of school; ethical tensions in researching with children; curriculum continuity as children start school; and starting school within families with complex support needs. Bob has published extensively in journals and books with his latest edited publication entitled Transitions to School: International Research, Policy and Practice released by Springer in 2013.

Amy MacDonald is a Lecturer in Early Childhood Studies in the School of Education and the Research Institute for Professional Practice, Learning and Education at Charles Sturt University, Albury, Australia. Amy’s research explores the mathematics experiences and education of infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and children in the early years of primary school; transitions in children’s mathematics education; and the contexts in which children develop mathematical understandings. Amy has received a number of awards for her work in these areas, including the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia Early Career Award in 2011.

Ann Gervasoni is Senior Lecturer in Mathematics Education at Australian Catholic University, Ballarat, Australia. Ann has worked in teacher education, teacher professional learning and primary education for 32 years. Ann was a member of the research team for the Early Numeracy Research Project (1999-2001) in Victoria, Australia and research director of the Bridging the Numeracy Gap in Low SES and Aboriginal Communities project in Western Australia and Victoria (2009-2011). Ann’s research focuses on mathematics education in early childhood and primary education, mathematics learning difficulties, and community approaches for supporting thelearning of those most vulnerable in our community.