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“Thinking that we don’t do math in early childhood is the most widespread myth we need to break.”
Judith Fábrega, early childhood teacher, PhD in “curriculum and instruction” from the University of Florida
Judith Fábrega has dedicated her career to building bridges between mathematics learning and early childhood education. She is a strong advocate for breaking myths and showing that, for young children, learning math is a rich, deep, and essential experience for building the foundation that will support their future development.
Judith, how did you decide to focus on mathematics education in early childhood?
I had always known I wanted to be an early childhood teacher. But in my last year of high school, my math teacher, who was also my mentor, told me: “Judith, you have excellent grades. You’re really good at math. Why waste it? Why don’t you major in Mathematics?” That was the first time someone made me feel that early childhood education “wasn’t enough.”
I started studying mathematics and I loved it—it was a really fun challenge—but I didn’t see myself as a high school teacher; my heart told me I needed to be with the youngest children. Halfway through my degree, I switched to Early Childhood Education, and from the first day I knew that was my place.
And how did you manage to connect those two worlds?
Once I was in the early childhood education program, I realized that many of my classmates and future teachers hated math. I had moved from one world (mathematics) where early childhood didn’t exist, to another where math was hated. I knew that if they didn’t like it, they probably wouldn’t bring it into their classrooms. That’s where I found my passion: I needed to build a bridge and bring rich, meaningful math to early childhood.
What does “doing math” with 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds really mean?
It means building on what children already do naturally: discover, try, and ask questions. They are curious by nature and constantly ask, “Why?” Doing math in early childhood means solving problems, letting them explore, and using those questions to guide them instead of giving them the answer right away.
If we want them to understand a triangle, we shouldn’t just say, “This is a triangle.” Instead, give them materials so that, with guidance, they can discover its characteristics and then help them name what they have learned.
What myths about learning math in early childhood do we need to break right now?
The most widespread myth is believing that in early childhood “we don’t do math,” thinking that real learning will come later in elementary or middle school. And that isn’t true: we do very important, deep math. This first experience is vital for shaping how they will see themselves in the future.
Recently, at a training in the United States, a teacher told me: “I don’t like math, that’s why I teach early childhood.” That broke my heart, because it implies a negative view of herself that she will probably pass on to her students, and because it reduces early childhood mathematics learning to just a formality.
Where does the math anxiety that many people feel come from?
Children are not born with math anxiety, and they aren’t afraid of making mistakes. This anxiety develops through interactions with adults, when they internalize the idea that in math you can only be “right” or “wrong.”
I remember observing a classroom where children were sorting attribute blocks. The teacher asked a student, “Why did you put this piece here?” with the goal of having them explain their thinking. But the child froze and immediately wanted to move it; he had already assumed that if the teacher asked “why,” it was because he had made a mistake. We need to focus more on reasoning and not just on the final answer.
You talk a lot about play in your trainings. How important is it in the classroom?
We shouldn’t separate “play time” from “learning time.” Play time is, in fact, learning time. Play is how children communicate, learn, and make sense of the world. As teachers, we should put on our “math glasses” and see what math we can draw out of their play, whether it’s free play or guided play.
As a society, what challenges do we face today when it comes to children?
I’m very concerned about how technology is affecting their free play. I have a 10-year-old son, and I’ve seen how the way children interact has changed today. Children need time to be children: they need to play outside, climb trees, and, very importantly, they need to be bored. Boredom is the engine of creativity.
I always tell families: don’t worry so much about making them do homework at home; play with them, use board games, read stories, or cook together. In those moments, there are many math opportunities.
How do you picture your ideal early childhood classroom?
To start, a class with fewer students, so I can spend quality time building a real connection with each one. I also imagine a classroom without doors, where inside and outside are one learning space and children can go out freely. A space full of light where they feel safe and welcome to choose what they want to do.
What would you say to a teacher who is just getting started?
Trust yourself and your students. If you feel capable and trust that they are, too, everything flows. Loving your students doesn’t mean doing everything for them—it means knowing they can do hard things. It won’t be perfect on the first day, and that’s normal; what matters is trying little by little and taking care of one another.
To finish, what has been the class of your life?
Any classroom where I am present becomes the class of my life in that moment. But I remember one in particular: my first student-teaching placement in a classroom of two-year-olds. Seeing how that teacher trusted the children and gave them freedom and space to be themselves completely changed the way I understand education.
