This publication from the Illinois Board of Education came out in 2012, but is timely for Early Math Counts because this edition focuses entirely on authentic assessment. Within its 15 pages, there are 11 short articles that range from best practices in authentic assessment to how to develop portfolios and serving dual language learners. Check […]
Development takes time. This, we all know intellectually, but in practice we sometimes forget that things take time. Some children can pick up a spoon, dip it into yogurt, and move it into their mouths the first time they try. Others work that spoon for months, with yogurt flying everywhere but their mouths. When assessing […]
I always find that the best way to begin introducing new materials to children is to place them in a basket or a container on one of the tables and simply allow the children to explore them independently for a few days. During this time, you can observe how they approach the materials without any […]
Long before Early Math Counts, the Internet, Head Start, Kindergarten, Maria Montessori and the Industrial Revolution; there was Gertrude. In 1781, Johann Pestalozzi, Swiss philosopher and educator, wrote the first of four books about the indomitable Gertrude in Leonard and Gertrude. Later, Pestalozzi would write How Gertrude Teaches Her Children. These two books would later […]
I know you all know what a question mark is. It is the punctuation sign at the end of a sentence that replaces a period (full stop) and signifies a question. Question marks are also called interrogation points, interrogation marks, question points, query, and erotemes. But what is an Amerpsand? You know it when you […]
In order to assess children’s learning systematically, classrooms need to be set up so teachers can do so. In order to conduct formal and informal assessments throughout the day, teachers need enough time and space to jot down notes, use checklists, take photographs, and collect information about children. Teachers can only do this if they […]
I just sent my online students a message about one of the many benefits of distance education. Today, as schools are closed and people all over Chicago are at a complete stand-still because of freezing temperatures, my online classes are still running strong. Not all distance education is good. You have to be a careful […]
These counting feet remind me of the old-timey cartoons where people are dancing and following the numbered feet to learn the steps.I think having a few sets of these counting feet in a classroom could be so much fun. I can imagine setting them out in funny patterns so that when children follow the numbers in […]
I don’t know about you, but I am already thinking about the end of winter! I love breaking out my winter boots in December but by mid-January, I am desperate to pack them away again. This got me thinking about Spring Cleaning and the opportunity for children to help us sort and pack, as well […]
This website is really interesting. My guess is that most of my Early Math Counts readers are familiar with it. I recently started exploring it, and when I looked up from my computer screen, 3 hours had passed. It is pretty engrossing, especially once you start digging deeply into the state-by-state statistics. Click here to […]