A new book called How Children Learn Math: The Science of Math Learning in Research and Practice aims to bridge the gap between research and practice in math education, according to co-author Nancy Krasa.
Krasa, an adjunct assistant professor of psychology at The Ohio State University and licensed psychologist specializing in children with learning difficulties, including math difficulties, said that the scientific research on how children learn math has expanded significantly in the past 20 years but has not been easily accessible to teachers.
American students’ math skills have suffered in recent years, with only around 25% of high school seniors scoring at or above the proficiency level in math in 2019, a figure that is thought to have worsened due to COVID-19 learning loss.
The book aims to give teachers and parents research-based methods to teach math fundamentals to young students and focuses on toddlerhood through the learning of fractions.
One important discovery highlighted in the book is the role of spatial skills in early math education, which has not yet reached many teachers but has been consistently linked to general math skills.
Spatial skills can be developed in young children through activities such as playing with blocks and can predict math performance in later grades.
The book also emphasizes the importance of language in math learning and the connection between math and reading skills. You can find more on the research here.