This edited book brings together for the first time an international collection of work focused
on two important aspects of any young child's life - learning mathematics and starting primary
or elementary school. The chapters take a variety of perspectives and integrate these two
components in sometimes explicit and sometimes more subtle ways.The key issues and themes
explored in this book are:the mathematical and other strengths that all participants in the
transition to school bring to this period of a child's life the opportunities provided by
transition to school for young children's mathematics learning the importance of partnerships
among adults and among adults and children for effective school transitions and mathematics
learning and teaching the critical impact of expectations on their mathematics learning as
children start school the importance of providing children with meaningful challenging and
relevant mathematical experiences throughout transition to school the entitlement of children
and educators to experience assessment and instructional pedagogies that match the strengths of
the learners and the teachers the importance for the aspirations of children families
communities educators and educational organisations to be recognised as legitimate and key
determinants of actions experiences and successes in both transition to school and mathematics
learning andthe belief that young children are powerful mathematics learners who can
demonstrate this power as they start school.In each chapter authors reflect on their work in
the area of mathematics and transition to school place that work within the overall context of
research in these fields predict the trajectory of this work in the future and consider the
implications of the work both theoretically and practically.
