Educators of young children who don’t yet know the work of Marian Small are in for a gift—a treasure trove to enhance their teaching and thinking about math. This book focuses on the most important concepts and skills needed to provide early learners (preKû2) with a strong foundation in mathematics, in ways that are fun for both children and educators! For each mathematical concept, professional developer Marian Small provides sample activities and lessons, as well as guidance for using children’s books, games, manipulatives, and electronic devices. This resource also demonstrates how to differentiate instruction using tasks and questions designed to include all students. Like other Marian Small bestsellers, the text features her special brand of lucid explanation of difficult concepts, fresh and engaging teaching examples, troubleshooting tips, and formative assessments. Fun and Fundamental Math for Young Children is separated into special grade level sections for pre-K, kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. It can be used with any early childhood curriculum or as a stand-alone program in preschools.

Foreword -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Chapter 1. Pedagogical Principles—Playing, Talking, Touching, and Thinking Their Way to Understanding -- What Makes a Task Worthwhile? -- Rich Mathematical Conversation -- The Value of Teaching Through Play -- The Value of Learning Using Concrete Objects -- The Importance of Differentiation -- The Importance of Listening to the Child -- Chapter 2. Counting and Cardinality -- Chapter 3. Operations and Algebraic Thinking -- Chapter 4. Number and Operations in Base Ten -- Chapter 5. Measurement and Data -- References -- Index.