NEWS FLASH

Gabi Bagley, 5, dug through a box of Kid K’Nex toys, bypassing rods and cylinders until she found a purple, teardrop-shaped object about four inches long. “Does that fit your hand just right?” said Cyndi Lopardo, her Preschool for All teacher. “Bring it over.” 

Gabi was one of four children at Onahan Elementary School learning a mathematical concept — measurement — by searching for items the same length as their hands.

The lesson was developed by coaches from the Erikson Institute to hone the children’s ability to compare and predict size — skills that researchers from Erikson say provide a foundation for success in elementary math but are often neglected in preschool.

Ms. Lopardo has been teaching preschoolers for 17 years at Onahan Elementary. But she said the Erikson coach has helped her create more engaging and effective math lessons.

“I have gotten great results,” she said. “We’ve been talking through ideas and making my practice better.”

That afternoon, Ms. Lopardo’s coach, Katie Morgan, took notes on how she could add more gestures to her teaching style and encourage students to describe objects’ sizes orally. After school, they reviewed a videotape of the lesson.