According to the research of Richardson, 2000, NAEYC & NAECS/SDE,2003, Clemens, Sarama, & DiBiase, 2004, NAEYC, 2009, and the National Research Council 2009 support the implementation of curriclular resources and program standards for mathematics for early childhood learners. Research shows that a child learning math skills in the first 6 years help develop their confidence in their ability to understand and use mathematics.
This problom of practice will be addressed by engaging a group of students in the daily use of I Pad apps to learn and practice the phonetic skills. Using the mathematic component on Teaching Strategies Gold, the classroom teacher and instructional assistant will conduct a pre/post assessment on counting and number recognition with each student. After the initial assessment, students will be divided into two groups, one group using the number recognition skills on ABC Mouse and other educational apps on the I pad and the other group counting in the traditional way. The teachers, along with parent volunteers, will wnsure that each group of students receives opportunities to practice their designated type of mathematical instructions. The teaching staff will meet with parents throughout the year to discuss the imprortance of learning counting and number recognition skills to get them ready for Kindergarten. This project will begin in September and continue throughout the school year, with a post assessment taking place in March in order to collect data to present at the Action Research Summit. Resources needed for purchase are three I Pads for student use.