Young children’s mathematical activities at preschool and home in Japan

ABSTRACT

Research indicates that mathematical understanding before formal schooling influences later attainment. This study investigated the mathematical activities of preschool-aged children in Japan, a neglected topic despite the high mathematical attainment of Japanese children. Preschool activities were investigated using surveys, observations, and staff interviews; activities at home and use of non-preschool educational providers were investigated using surveys of parents. The results showed that preschools overwhelmingly followed the government curricula, seeking to develop children’s interest in and sense of number, quantity, and shape through activities embedded in play and daily life; more directed teaching using workbooks was rare. Many children frequently engaged in informal mathematics-related activities at home. An unexpectedly high proportion of children engaged with learning materials from non-preschool educational providers. Results were broadly consistent across the two locations studied, despite the contrasting attainment of children in these areas in national mathematics tests. The results demonstrate that preschools in different parts of Japan avoid directed mathematical teaching. Further research is needed into the development of the mathematical understanding of preschool-aged children in Japan, especially in relation to non-preschool educational providers.

KEYWORDS:

• Mathematics
• preschool
• early childhood
• home learning environment
• Japan

Acknowledgements

The author thanks all preschool staff, children, and parents who kindly participated.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 It can be calculated from government data (Monbukagakushō 2016, 2017 and Kōseirōdōshō 2017) that roughly 97% of children attending the first year of elementary school in 2017 were attending a preschool in 2016.

2 To preserve participants’ anonymity, pseudonyms have been used for all locations and preschools, and some details that might inadvertently allow identification of the locations, such as population size, have been provided in broad terms. The NAAS is taken by children in their final (sixth) year of elementary, and final (third) year of junior high school. Note that the average marks of children in the highest and lowest performing prefectures are normally within 10 percentage points of each other.

3 At most preschools, both four-year-olds and five-year-olds were observed (with more focus on five-year-olds, the oldest children), but at one day-care centre in Wakahashi, mainly the four-year-olds were observed, while at two day-care centres in Sakura, only the five-year-olds were observed. This was due to the schedules of the preschools on the days visited. Classes may contain children who were the stipulated age at the start of the preschool year but then had their next birthday.

4 There was one exception: in Wakahashi preschools, item 4 (numbers in singing) was uncommon. Results for Sakura, Wakahashi, and Tokai are available at DOI:10.5281/zenodo.4384727.

5 ‘Quantity’ and ‘number’ were not defined in the interviews by either interviewer or interviewees.

6 66% of children engaged at least weekly in three or more activities, and 48% in four or more activities. Results of the parent surveys by location and year group are available at DOI:10.5281/zenodo.4384727.

7 In Japan, people enter the bathtub after washing and rinsing themselves. Young children bathe with a parent, who tells them to enter the bathtub and count to a certain number before getting out.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation under Daiwa Foundation Small Grant 6147/12859; by the Japan Foundation Endowment Committee under Grant Number 598 1017; and by the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation under Grant Number 5308.