Mathematics education in the early years

This chapter presents a synthesis of the Australasian early childhood mathematics education research which has been conducted during the review period 2012–2015. “Early childhood education” is taken to be the education of, and for, children aged between birth and 8 years old. The research canvassed in this chapter encompasses a range of early childhood contexts, including home, school, and early childhood education services. Similarly, the research presented in this chapter has been undertaken with a range of stakeholders in early childhood mathematics education, including early childhood and school educators, families, and the children themselves. Consistent with previous reviews, this chapter is structured according to four key themes which have emerged in canvassing the current research: curriculum in early childhood mathematics education; assessment in early childhood mathematics education; content of early childhood mathematics education; and contexts for early childhood mathematics education. This synthesis of research is then used to provide recommendations for future research in this field.