A Utah initiative is enlisting parents in a new effort to strengthen early math skills among preschoolers, challenging the common belief that some people are simply "not math people." Researchers and educators are working directly with families in classrooms to demonstrate simple, engaging ways to build foundational numeracy before children even enter kindergarten. The program aims to shift perceptions by showing how everyday interactions—like counting toys or recognizing shapes—can lay critical groundwork for future learning. With early math abilities linked to later academic success, this approach could offer a low-cost, high-impact solution for closing achievement gaps at the earliest stages.
TAYLORSVILLE, Utah — In an elementary school classroom just outside Salt Lake City, Clarence Ames warmed up an audience of 15 parents, their young children sitting beside them. “Has anybody here ever heard or said, ‘I’m not a math person?’” asked Ames, who leads research and implementation for the Utah STEM Action Center, a state […] The post One state bets on parents to boost preschool math skills appeared first on The Hechinger Report.
