Early Childhood Report Roundup

Preschool Math

By Christina A. Samuels — December 11, 2013 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

A U.S. Department of Education-funded study of a math-enrichment program featuring such characters as the Cat in the Hat and Curious George showed that the 10-week program boosted early mathematics skills for 4- and 5-year-olds from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

The program was evaluated as part of the federal Ready to Learn initiative. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Public Broadcasting System are in the middle of a $14.6 million, five-year grant to develop “transmedia content"—video, online games, apps, and interactive whiteboard applications—intended to increase early reading and math skills.

The program was tested with 900 4- and 5-year-olds in New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area. The study found that the children working with the new program improved their basic math skills more than those in both the control group and in another group of classrooms that were given additional technology resources and teacher training but no special curriculum supplement.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the December 11, 2013 edition of Education Week as Preschool Math

Events

School Climate & Safety Webinar Engaging Every Student: How to Address Absenteeism and Build Belonging
Gain valuable insights and practical solutions to address absenteeism and build a more welcoming and supportive school environment.
Student Well-Being K-12 Essentials Forum Social-Emotional Learning 2025: Examining Priorities and Practices
Join this free virtual event to learn about SEL strategies, skills, and to hear from experts on the use and expansion of SEL programs.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Professional Development Webinar
Inside PLCs: Proven Strategies from K-12 Leaders
Join an expert panel to explore strategies for building collaborative PLCs, overcoming common challenges, and using data effectively.
Content provided by Otus

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Early Childhood How Kindergarten 'Redshirting' Is Changing
Redshirting was once largely a choice made by higher-income parents of white boys.
5 min read
A group of ethnically diverse Kindergarten children sit on the floor of their classroom, cross-legged and dressed in casual clothing.  They are all looking up at their teacher who is holding out a storybook and reading to them.  They are all smiling and listening attentively.
iStock/Getty
Early Childhood Head Start Teachers Will Earn More—But Programs Might Have to Serve Fewer Kids
A new federal rule will raise wages for Head Start employees—but providers won't get any additional funding.
7 min read
Preschool teacher with kids sitting nearby while she reads a book.
iStock/Getty
Early Childhood EdReports Expands Curriculum Reviews to Pre-K
Non-profit EdReports will review pre-K curricula to gauge its alignment with research on early learning.
2 min read
Boy raises his hand to answer a question in a classroom; he is sitting on the floor with other kids and the teacher is sitting in front of the class.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
Early Childhood The State of Teaching Young Kids Are Struggling With Skills Like Listening, Sharing, and Using Scissors
Teachers say basic skills and tasks are more challenging for young students now than they were five years ago.
5 min read
Young girl using scissors in classroom.
E+ / Getty