Some Surprising Findings on Kindergarten Math Instruction

In this Elementary School Journal article, Martha Cecilia Bottia, Stephanie Moller, Roslyn Arlin Mickelson, and Elizabeth Stearns (University of North Carolina/Charlotte) report on their analysis of the U.S. Department of Education’s ECLS-K study (Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey – Kindergarten). The researchers looked at the impact of several instructional practices on student achievement:

• Manipulatives
• Drills in worksheets, workbooks, and exercises
• Interactive group work
• Music and movement

They found that some classroom practices helped all students but others had differential impact according to students’ academic readiness, socio-economic status, and race. Specifically:

• Interactive group activities and giving and receiving help were associated with higher math achievement.
• More exposure to drills was associated with higher achievement, especially for students who entered kindergarten with better-developed skills and knowledge.
• Manipulatives had very little impact on the achievement of most students, and a negative impact on the achievement of African-American students. 
• Music and movement had a negative impact on African-American students’ achievement.

The authors qualify the last two findings by saying that there are big differences in how much and how well different teachers implement various instructional strategies. It’s possible that African-American students are getting less-effective instruction with manipulatives and music/movement.

“This study shows that the quality of the curriculum is only part of the answer,” conclude the authors. “There are significant differences in the way instructional practices foster or undermine the achievement of kindergarten students depending on their racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and math academic readiness backgrounds… Mathematics instruction should be both consistent with curricular standards and tailored to benefit the diverse population of children that attend schools. Mathematics curricula, as currently implemented, seem to leave portions of the student population behind.” 

“Foundations of Mathematics Achievement: Instructional Practices and Diverse Kindergarten Students” by Martha Cecilia Bottia, Stephanie Moller, Roslyn Arlin Mickelson, and Elizabeth Stearns in Elementary School Journal, September 2014 (Vol. 115, #1, p. 124-150), 

http://bit.ly/1vuHHUM 

From the Marshall Memo #550