CHLD 124: Math for Children

Citrus College Course Outline of Record

Citrus College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Fall 2025
Credits: 2
Total Contact Hours: 36
Lecture Hours : 36
Lab Hours: 0
Hours Arranged: 0
Outside of Class Hours: 72
Total Student Learning Hours: 108
Strongly Recommended: ENGL C1000.
Transferable to CSU: Yes
Transferable to UC: No
Grading Method: Standard Letter

Catalog Course Description

This course focuses on analyzing relevant theories of child development to provide the student with opportunities to evaluate early childhood mathematical curriculum materials and activities to use with preschool and early school age children. The student will analyze, discuss and plan developmentally appropriate curriculum that supports children's interests, ideas and learning about mathematical concepts. 36 lecture hours.

Course Objectives

  • Describe and explain specific thought processes that inhibit logical thinking during the pre-operational stage of development.
  • Develop, analyze and evaluate developmentally appropriate curriculum activities and experiences that foster intellectual development during early childhood.
  • Demonstrate "events" that occur in the classroom by introducing spontaneous opportunities for comparing, contrasting and sequencing objects and events.
  • Develop and evaluate activities that assist young children to represent and communicate their actions/ideas in abstract forms appropriate to their developmental level.
  • Develop a parent education program that informs and connects families to the mathematical experiences and tasks of children during early childhood.

Major Course Content

  1. Mathematics for Children
    1. What is mathematics during early childhood?
    2. Developmentally Appropriate Practice
    3. Intentional teaching during early childhood
  2. Child Development Theories Inform Math Curriculum  
    1. Piaget
    2. Vygotsky
    3. Erikson
  3. Curriculum Development
    1. A complete math program
    2. Preschool math experiences
    3. Early school-age math experiences
    4. Developing curriculum activities
      1. classification
      2. ordering
      3. counting
      4. numerals
      5. addition/subtraction
      6. geometry
      7. measurement
      8. connecting math and literacy curriculum
  4. Representation and Communication
    1. Speech/reporting
    2. Pictures/drawings/objects
    3. Graphing
    4. Sets/numerals
    5. Demonstrations
  5. Parent Education
    1. Connecting with Families about Early Childhood Math
    2. Home-School Math Connections

Suggested Reading Other Than Required Textbook

Web-link: http://www.naeyc.org/positionstatements/mathematics National Association for the Education of Young Children: Position Statement Early Childhood Mathematics

Examples of Required Writing Assignments

1) Create written developmentally appropriate math activities for use with preschool and early school-age children in early childhood education settings. 2) Design a developmentally appropriate math program including supplies/materials, environmental design, displays and a math "center."

Examples of Outside Assignments

1) Observe and evaluate math curriculum in early childhood education classrooms. 2) Survey math curriculum and evaluate for developmental appropriateness.

Instruction Type(s)

Lecture, Online Education Lecture