Early Math Interest Forum (EMIF)

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.
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• 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​​​​​​​

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LEARN MORE

• Renee Miller, Erikson Institute
  
• Daisy Tian, Kean University
• Beki Romeis-Markham, University of Texas:Rio Grande Valley
• Cyndi Lopardo, Chicago Public Schools
• Maddie Pelz, Grow Into Math
• David Banzer, University of Illinois Chicago
• Ashli-Ann Douglas, WestEd
  
• ​Carley Fisher-Maltese, George Mason University
  
• ​Tasha Moore, Toddler Talk Consultants and Training​
• Sakeenah Sweeney, Eastern University

EMIF Forum Listserv

Sign Up - EMIF Listserv

​​Upcoming Meetups:​​

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Meetup #15 - Apr 6, 2026, 7:30 EST

• Read, Play, Grow! Art and Math Experiences in Early Childhood
  
• Register today! - bit.ly/EMIFApr2026

NAEYC EMIF / NCTM Summer Webinar Series

The National Association for the Education of Young Children’s Early Math Interest Forum (NAEYC EMIF) and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) hosted a complimentary webinar series focusing on creating developmentally appropriate math for Pre-K to 2nd grade. Check out the session recordings and resources below! 

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Session 1. Position Students as Learners and Doers of Mathematics through Play-matized Math Learning
June 24, 2025 at 7 p.m. ET
This session will focus on ways to engage students, through play, in doing and learning about math in the early grades. We will describe how play can support young children’s active learning as “doers” of math. We will share example activities that leverage a variety of formats, such as games, hands-on activities, physical movement, narrative stories, and math-infused technology tools. 

• Presentation Deck
• Session Recording and Chat
• Young Mathematicians
• Early Math with Gracie & Friends (scroll down past Early Science for Early Math)

Session 2. Position Students as Learners and Doers of Mathematics through Student-Centered Routines
July 29, 2025 at 7 p.m. ET
The early childhood classroom is full of routines. Things that need to happen daily to get through the school day successfully.  What if these routines could be student centered with the focus on engaging children in mathematical thinking? In this session we will examine several classroom routines and explore the possibilities when we mathematize them. Classroom routines won’t be routine anymore. 

• Presentation Deck
• ​Session Recording and Chat

Session 3. Position Students as Learners and Doers of Mathematics through Mathematical Discourse
August 26, 2025 at 7 p.m. ET 
This session delves into practical strategies for fostering rich mathematical discourse with students. We will explore ways to cultivate mathematical thinking of our early learners by engaging them in conversations about mathematical ideas and concepts. Join us to discover playful and engaging techniques that will position students as active explorers and communicators of mathematics. 

• Presentation Deck​​
• Session Recording

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​Additional Meetups:


Meetup #14 - February 21, 2026, 7:00 p.m. ET

• Sticks, Stones, and Scraps: Using Loose Parts to Explore Mathematical Thinking
  
• Click here for the recorded session.
  
• Click here for the session slide deck.
  

Meetup #13 - February 12, 2026, 7:00 p.m. ET

• The Power of Instructional Routines​
• Click here for the recorded session
• Click here for the session slide deck

Meetup #12 - October 7, 2025, 7:00 p.m. ET

• Enjoy and Nourish Young Children’s Amazing Everyday Math
• Click here for the recorded session
• Click here for the session slide deck

Meetup #11 - September 22, 2025, 7:00 p.m. ET

• Early Math Counts - Online Resources and Professional Development for Early Childhood Educators
• ​Click here for the recorded session
• Click here for the session slide deck

Meetup #10 - July 21, 2025, 7:00 p.m. ET

• Nurturing Mathematical Thinking in Infants, Toddlers, and 2s
• ​Click here for the recorded session and the session slide deck

 Meetup #9 - May 19, 2025, 7:00 p.m. ET

• Exploring Spatial Thinking: An Innovative Curriculum for Preschoolers Using Hands-On and Augmented Reality Experiences
• ​Click here for the recorded session - Passcode: qA5W^mzK
• Click here for the session slide deck

Links to Resources:

• Teachers Guide: https://first8studios.org/gracieandfriends/guide/spatial/
• Family Guide: https://first8studios.org/gracieandfriends/family/
• Map Adventure App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/gracie-friends-map-adventures/id1276283570
• AR Adventure App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/gracie-friends-ar-adventures/id6471597700​

Meetup #8 - March 19, 2025, 6:30 pm ET

• Getting in Shape Hands-On Creative Ideas to Incorporate Geometry into Early Learning Classrooms
• Click here for the recorded session - Passcode: HL&Wj8QC
• Click here for the session slide deck 

Meetup #7 - January 23, 2025, 6:00 pm ET

• The work in patterns as the basis of other areas and early math domains
• Click here for the recorded session
• Click here for the session slide deck 

​Meetup #6 - October 23, 2024, 7:00 pm ET

• Making Math Playful in Early Elementary Classrooms
• Click here for the recorded session

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Meeting Up #5 - September 17, 2024, 7:00pm ET

• The Power of Play-Based Math
• Click here for the recorded session
• Click here for the session slide deck

Meetup #4 - July 23, 2024, 7:30pm ET 

• Math with Infants and Toddlers: Discovering the Magic of Our Youngest Mathematicians
• Click here for the recorded session
• Click here for the session slide deck

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Meetup #3 - May 7, 2024, 8:00pm ET

• STEM and Storytelling 

Meetup #2 - March 20, 2024, 7:30pm ET

• Embodied math learning
• Click here for the recorded session

Meetup #1 - Jan 25, 2024 7pm ET

• Strategies with multilingual learners
• Click here for the recorded session

 

Sign up for our listserv here! 

Book Club Meetings

2024-2025 Book Club

Meeting Links

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• Session 1 recording and presentation deck
• Session 2 recording and presentation deck
• Session 3 recording and presentation deck

EMIF/NCTM Early Childhood Math Webinar Series

Session 1: Routines and Games to Illuminate the Big Ideas of Number Sense Materials

• Recording
• Presentation Deck​
• Resources

Session 2: Developing a Positive Math Mindset with Games, Books, and Technology for Young Learners

• Presentation Deck
• Resources and Links 
• Recording

Session 3: Here's One for the Little Guy: Fitting Math into the Early Childhood Curriculum

• Recording
• Presentation Deck
• Resource

More Additional Past Meetups
Hosted by: NAEYC's Early Math Interest Forum (EMIF)

Free virtual meetups on topics in early childhood mathematics education. Led by EMIF's Co-Facilitators. Registration required.

Meetup #5 - Integrating Early Math Meaningfully with Science and Engineering
Thurs, Sep 14, 2023
7pm ET

Meetup #4 - Young Mathematicians: Playful Math for Home and School
Tues, July 25, 2023
6:30pm ET

• Email for Presentation Deck and Resources & Recording

Meetup #3 - Math Throughout the Day
Thurs, May 25, 2023
7:30pm ET

Meetup #2 - Math Talks in Pre-K
Wed, March 22, 2023
7:30pm ET

• Presentation Deck and Resources
• Recording

Meetup #1 - Pump up the Math Using Picture Books
Wed, Jan 25, 2023
7:30pm ET
View recording


NAEYC Membership encouraged but not required for attendance at these events

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