At MERGA, I presented a paper entitled "Mathematics in the Pre-School," which was a summary of tentative ventures into this emerging field. The role of the prior-to-school years in children's mathematics learning was not yet under serious consideration but an understanding of the importance of play in children's experiences was building.…

The introduction of the "Early Years Learning Framework and the Australian Curriculum-Mathematics" in Australian preschools and primary schools has caused early childhood educators to reconsider what may be appropriate levels of mathematics knowledge to expect from children as they start school. This paper reports on initial data from an…