2020 California Association for the Education of Young Children (CAAEYC) Annual Conference

Saturday, June 27, 8:30-10:00 AM

The What, Why, and How of Family Math: DREME Resources for Practitioners and Families

Linda Platas, Eric Dearing, Douglas Clements

Workshop description:

Participants will learn about freely-available resources developed by the Development and Research in Early Math Education (DREME) Network to support the practice of professionals working with families, educators, and caregivers of young children, including preschool teachers, parent educators, librarians, social workers, and health care providers. Resources range from complete workshops to “à la carte” materials such as storybook guides, cooking recipes, math talk tips, games and activities that promote both math and executive function, and information on math development, including complete learning trajectories for all topics.

In the workshop, the following questions will be addressed:

1. What does math look like in the classroom and home?
2. Why is math important?
3. What are productive ways for families to engage children in math learning?
4. How can professionals and educators support parents, pre- and in-service teachers, and caregivers in math?

Participants will also learn about DREME guiding principles for family math:

1. Across all cultures and languages, families have valuable strengths, resources, and practices.
2. Family math can be woven into daily life in ways that make it meaningful and fun for children in ways that are aligned with family goals and strengths and not overly burdensome.
3. Family math is about uncovering the math around us, and innovating ways to engage and have conversations with children about math.