ABSTRACT
Many fundamental ideas of mathematics begin to develop earlier than words; they spring from the physical sensory experiences of space, movement, sequence, time, quantities, etc. There is a great deal of mathematical learning that usually takes place before children start school, by which time most have developed concepts that are the bedrock of 'thinking' and practical activities that support their later ability to use language, numbers, symbols and abstract ideas. Although core knowledge is the basis of all the rich cognitive skills that get us through life, it is usually ignored in typical curriculum development. The relationships between the roots of sensory experience and core knowledge – and the processes of exploration and problem solving through which practical mathematical ideas develop – are subtle and underestimated by the conventional academic curriculum.
