State policies that promote early childhood mathematics

In 2002, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) jointly issued a position statement: Early Childhood Mathematics: Promoting Good Beginnings. In the position statement, NAEYC and NCTM:

“affirm that high-quality, challenging, and accessible mathematics education for three- to six-year-old children is a vital foundation for future mathematics learning. In every early childhood setting, children should experience effective, research-based curriculum and teaching practices. Such high-quality classroom practice requires policies, organizational supports, and adequate resources that enable teachers to do this challenging and important work.”

Consistent with the NAEYC/NCTM position statement, the focus of this paper is on children ages three to six. Although mathematical skills are formed starting at birth, the most is known about children’s development in this area during this critical period of their young lives.