Iowa State University informing decision-makers about research in Science–Technology–Engineering–Mathematics Education

Another Advancement In

STEM Education

College of Human Sciences

SIMPLE math concepts builds think-

ing, reasoning skills in youngsters

The best way to teach preschoolers math concepts? The SIMPLE way, of course.

SIMPLE – or Strengthening Iowa Mathematics Pre-school Learning Environments – is helping early childhood educators learn research-proven strategies to expand the depth of mathematics concepts they teach to youngsters. Through the SIMPLE method, teachers use open-ended activity frameworks that incorporate games, songs, books, and storytelling into activities that link math content and math processes.

Principal investigators Susan Hegland, associate professor in human development and family stud-ies (HDFS), and Carla Peterson, associate dean for research and graduate education and professor in HDFS, along with a team of early childhood educa-tors and mathematics education experts from the Colleges of Human Sciences and Liberal Arts and Sci-ences, have been developing the SIMPLE approach to mathematics for over a year as part of a grant from the Iowa Math and Science Education Partnership.

“The research is showing that preschool teachers spend most of their math lessons using activities that don’t build math understanding, or involve key math processes, such as reasoning and problem solving,” Peterson said. “But we know that at that age, young students show an intuitive grasp of math concepts. We need to enhance their ability to problem solve and use critical thinking skills now and later in their schooling.”

February 2010

Amy Carlott, ISU Child Development Lab School teacher, uses math frameworks to teach concepts of problem solving and critical thinking to youngsters. Photo by Jaclyn Hansel.

Peterson said the frame concept differs from traditional mathematics activities in preschool teaching methods because it links certain “big ideas” in preschool math involving numbers, relations, operations, geometry, spatial relations, measurement, and patterns to the math processes of problem solving, reasoning commu-nicating, connecting, and presentation.

Through a series of workshops, Hegland, along with fellow researchers, have been working with early child-hood educators on the Iowa State campus to weave the math frames into their existing curriculum. Peterson said SIMPLE is a small investment for preschool pro-grams and early childhood educators that can result in a big payoff.

“With a more positive attitude toward school and math, we’re working to prepare better educators and stronger students, while improving scholastic achievement,” Peterson said. “It’s what all parents, administrators, and eventually, employers, want to see.”

For more information:

Read other STEM education stories on the College of Hu-man Sciences web site at www.hs.iastate.edu/news/stem.