Pre-KG Math may set kids up for success

How can people be pulled out of poverty and educated better? What builds you up for a better life? In New York City, an ambitious, $25 million study shows that success may begin with math, according to npr.com.

Even as the Obama administration announced a public-private partnership to inject $1 billion into public preschool programs in the US, the importance given to Math in pre-kg could perhaps be emphasised further. While the Congress still does not reach a consensus to push every child into preschool, the government has given early education a headstart with its 'Invest in Education', according to washingtonpost.com.

P.S. 43, Far Rockaway, Queens, a coastal region, is one of 69 high-poverty sites around New York City that has been hit by Hurricane Sandy, in which a research study funded by the Robin Hood Foundation that aims to end poverty showed that stronger math teaching can improve children. Its lead investigator is Pamela Morris, of the research group MDRC.

She says that learning Math in elementary school determines whether a student would attend college or not, improving children for the long term.

Since last year, more than 30 US states have opened access to preschool. It is still not clear, though, what exactly is needed to pull in children into pre-kg. 

There is a lack of Math learning in pre KG. Once study showed that Math occupied just 58 seconds out of a five-hour preschool day, as most teachers think of it as a "quiet activity", or skills.

Doug Clements, Creator of Building Blocks, which is also being tested by this study, says that math games, toys and activities can illuminate their minds all day. There are experiments to help the children improve their metacognition---explaining their reasoning out loud. During choice time, apart from the play dough and pattern blocks, many computer games are designed to teach as well as keep track of their progress.

There is also a coach from Bank Street College of Education, who oversees the implementation of the curriculum. Will the children be able to "self-regulate, inhibit impulses, pay attention appropriately and hold important concepts in working memory" developing skills called executive functioning.

"I just feel like the 'aha' moment. This is what teaching should be. Where's the literacy program?" says Morris.