NAEYC's Early Math Interest Forum (EMIF) is an interest group facilitated by volunteers from across the United States who are interested in supporting early math education.
Carrie S. Cutler, University of Houston (Co-lead Facilitator)
Toni Galassini, Chicago Public Schools Office of Early Childhood Education (Co-lead Facilitator)
Amber Beisly, University of Oklahoma (Co-lead Facilitator)
Alissa Lange, EC STEM Lab, East Tennessee State University
Ashley Lewis Presser, Education Development Center
Kristen Reed, Education Development Center
Jessica Young, Education Development Center
Stephanie Calabrese, George Mason University
Helen Orimaye, University of Missouri-Kansas City
Amie Perry, East Tennessee State University
Early Childhood Math Webinar Series Returns! For the third consecutive year, NCTM and the National Association for the Education of Young Children's Early Math Interest Forum (NAEYC) will offer a complimentary summer webinar series focusing on creating developmentally appropriate mathematics experiences for students in grades PK-2. Sign up here!
Session 1.Counting That Counts: Leveraging Learning Trajectories in Early Childhood Classrooms June 15, 2025 at 7 p.m. ET Counting is at the heart of early mathematics, providing the foundation for children to understand that numbers have purpose in describing their world. In this session, participants will examine the counting learning trajectory—a predictable pathway from birth to age 8 that connects the counting principles to understanding quantities to building early place value ideas. Through videos, work samples, and counting collections, see how children’s thinking develops along the trajectory and gain strategies and tools for guiding their growing quantitative reasoning. Register in advance for this webinar.
Session 2.Little Hands, Big Ideas: Playful Paths to Measurement Across the Early Years July 20, 2026 at 7 p.m. ET This session invites you to explore how children naturally grow into measurement thinkers across the early years. Together, we’ll look at playful, everyday experiences that nurture this growth – through talk, comparison, and hands-on exploration – and you’ll leave with doable ideas you can bring back to your classroom or setting right away. Register in advance for this webinar. Session 3.Is that a Quadrilateral? Non-Traditional Polygons & Polyhedra that have Changed the World August 17, 2026, at 7 p.m. ET Architects Zaha Hadid (The World is not a Rectangle, J. Winter) and Philip Freelon (Dream Builder, K.S. Lyons) used non-traditional shapes in their designs. This session will share how to use the math talk, “Which One Doesn’t Belong”/ “Which One is Unique?” to build a deeper understanding of irregular geometric shapes. Inspired by Hadid and Freelon’s story, students will build their ideal building using non-traditional shapes. Register in advance for this webinar.
