In order to give all children equal opportunities in school, methods to prevent early differences are needed. The overall aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of two structured teaching methods: Math in Action, characterised by physical activity and music, and common numerical activities. Children (28 girls, 25 boys) were assigned to 1 of the 2 conditions during a period of 3 weeks (2 times a week for a 30-minute session). The results show that children who learn mathematics in an environment characterised by physical activity and music develop their mathematical abilities significantly more than children who learn mathematics through common number activities. We have also shown that children with different motor skill abilities benefit from learning mathematics in an environment characterised by physical activity and music.

Children’s early mathematics learning and development have become a topic of increasing interest over the past decade since early mathematical knowledge and skills have been shown to be a strong predictor of later mathematics performance. Understanding how children develop mathematical knowledge and skills and how they can be supported in their early learning could thus prove to be a vital component in promoting learning of more formal mathematics.

In light of the above, with this thesis I sought to contribute to an increased understanding of children’s early mathematics learning and development by examining effects of playing different number games on children’s number knowledge and skills, and by investigating children’s representations of numbers on number line tasks.

Two number game intervention studies were performed, and effects of three different number game conditions (linear number, circular number and nonlinear number) were investigated by examining 5- and 6-year-old children’s pre- and posttest performance on different numerical tasks. The findings indicate that playing number games in general support children’s development of number knowledge and skills, where the specific learning outcomes are affected differently depending on the type of number game utilized.

To elucidate children’s representations of numbers, their performance on two different  umber line tasks have been analyzed using a latent class modeling approach. The results reveal that there is a heterogeneity in 5- and 6-year-old children’s number line estimations and subgroups of children showing different estimation patterns were distinguished. In addition, it is shown that children’s number line estimations can be associated to their number knowledge as well as to task specific aspects.

The findings presented in this thesis contribute to the discussion of the value of selecting game activities in a conscious way to support children’s early mathematics learning and development. They also add to the discussion regarding the number line task and how children’s number line estimations can be analyzed and interpreted.

Background An evaluation report of the mathematics initiative in Sweden points out certain aspects for succeeding in using Learning Study as a method for developing mathematics education. These aspects are (1) a limited content, (2) qualified tutoring, (3) set-aside time and (4) supportive school leaders. Purpose Our purpose is to share our experiences from tutoring different municipality Learning Study projects, by highlighting aspects that could be regarded as crucial for a successful project. Design In order to get better results in students' achievements in mathematics, the teachers attended a municipality Learning Study project, aimed to develop mathematics teaching, especially with focus on content. The first project started in 2010 and the last ongoing project will be finished in spring 2013. Totally approx. 70 mathematics teachers (grade 1-9) together with tutors and project managers were involved. Main activities have been lectures and group discussions of books and articles about Learning Study together with planning, developing and carrying through lessons according to the Learning Study model. Overall, a total amount of about 40 LearningStudies will be fulfilled before summer 2013. Findings As tutors  in the projects we have experienced some aspects that we, from our point of view, believe could affect and be crucial for the outcome of Learning Study projects. We present our findings divided into three main themes (1) General aspects, e.g. visible project management, distinct organization and a compressed Learning Study cycle, (2) Successful groups, e. g. profound understanding of fundamental mathematics, knowledge and awareness about curriculum, and high expectations on students’ achievements. Finally, a third theme has emerged, through analyzing videotaped lessons, tests and materials from project evaluations, (3) Impact on teaching. Some examples are (a) increased and conscious use of manipulatives, (b) increased use of group discussions, and (c) less time for students’ individual work in textbooks.