Rigorous early childhood math education is vital for students’ future academic and lifelong success, yet many preschool children lack opportunities to engage in math learning.
In 2022, Washington University’s Institute for School Partnership (ISP) and a district-based Early Childhood Center formed the Early Childhood Mathematics Research Practice Partnership (ECMRPP), a two-year pilot to focus specifically on early mathematics learning.
The primary aim of the ECMRPP was to improve the equity of access to quality early childhood education in the St. Louis Region by supporting early mathematics learners from high-needs backgrounds. The Partnership was a natural progression of the ISP’s Math314 program, which was designed to equip educators with knowledge and tools to implement quality math instruction in their classrooms.
This research-practice partnership took a systems approach, using improvement science methodology and research-based learning trajectories to develop a professional learning program that yielded encouraging observations, including:
- increases in positive math mindsets and teacher confidence
- more intentional, frequent, and varied math instruction in the classroom
- increased student learning across the developmental math areas.
Through an improvement science methodology the team identified key levers of ECE mathematics instructional improvement, including professional learning and leadership development for teachers, as well as the development of a practical way for teachers to assess student math learning & knowledge. Engaging classroom teachers and school administrators as researchers to focus on increased understanding of their own practices and the barriers to high-quality ECE math, the partnership participants developed a professional learning program that prepares and supports teachers to ensure that every student has the opportunity to experience joyful, rigorous math learning.
Grant
In 2024-2025, the ISP secured a three-year grant to study and expand on our work in the early childhood space, launching a new research-practice partnership project in the Hazelwood School Year. Through this partnership, the ISP aims to:
- Support teachers in early childhood math classrooms to create learning environments where all students are provided equitable access to mathematics;
- Engage every student in opportunities to appreciate the deep and wondrous connection between math and the world around them; and
- Equip all math teachers with a robust toolkit of instructional strategies to productively engage all students in rich mathematics.
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Contact Us
For more information about Math314 and our Early Childhood Math Program, contact us at