Since my early years as a children’s librarian in Northeast Ohio, I’ve been passionate about the role librarians can play in math education. Integrating math concepts in program planning is a critical responsibility of all librarians and one of the ALSC competencies for librarians serving children in libraries (Competency III.6). I would frequently include shape manipulatives during open play, count aloud as I changed the tracks on my CD boombox, and incorporate activities related to size, operations, and computational thinking in my storytimes. Growing the next generation of mathematicians alongside the next generation of joyful readers has always been a priority for me. What the Research Says But how, if at all, are emerging technologies changing early math education? How can children’s librarians make use of these advances and accompanying research? In their recent article published in Education Science and Management, Trifunović et al. (2024) found that screen size played…
Tag: Math in storytime
Early Numeracy in the Children’s Library
Early numeracy learning opportunities are supported by many of same practices that encourage early literacy such as reading, playing, and talking. Since you are already talking about the benefits of these practices, you can easily include some early numeracy tips wherever they fit into your conversations with grown-ups.
Finding the Math in Children’s Storytimes
In Massachusetts, the children’s librarians at Worcester Public Library (WPL) are weaving math learning into story times. Math, at the library? With toddlers and preschoolers? The answer to both questions is a resounding, YES!