Early Learning and its Role in Mathematics Education
Mathematics Listening Tour – Brief Report
In the Fall of 2023 we conducted a listening tour across the state of Florida in an effort to understand the current state of mathematics education. This brief reports on what we learned from early learning educators, directors, parents and other stakeholders about early learning (birth to age four) and its role in mathematics education.
Key Finding: Early Learning Educators Have Not Had Sufficient Opportunities to Learn How to Teach Mathematics to Children
Read the full brief report on our key findings and their implications on early learning and its role in mathematics education.
Read our Landscape Analysis on mathematics education in the State of Florida.
Early Learning educators frequently requested professional learning opportunities focused on improving their mathematics instruction methods.
40% of over 1,000 early learning educator survey respondents reported having no college or technical degree, and half of those have no education beyond a high school diploma or GED. It is noteworthy that nearly all early learning educators who responded to the survey indicated having one or more of the many possible certifications available to early learning educators in Florida.
Early Learning educators and directors frequently list the same needs to better their mathematics education curriculum.
Many of the requests initially stem from a lack of proper funding, which impacts the center’s ability to provide proper educator compensation, professional learning opportunities, and high quality instructional materials.
Recommendation: Dedicate Mathematics Funding for Early Learning Providers
- Provide financial support to early learning centers so they can pay for curricular materials and resources
- Subsidize professional learning opportunities for early learning professionals
- Increase educator compensation
Recommendation: Position Early Learning Educators as Professionals
- Change the public perception of early learning educators to position them as trusted learning professionals
- Improve educator compensation and provide new pathways for credentialing