By increasing access to early math, SPL created a new opportunity to provide a broader range of school readiness support, a community need made even more critical due to the pandemic. The challenge was to help adults, including library staff, overcome negative associations with math and a belief that young children don’t comprehend math concepts. Early math information needed to be brief and shared in relatable, every day experiences. To help staff support this initiative, it was infused into the work they already do.

Over 8 months, the Early Math Initiative offered a mix of information and fun, hands on experiences. Key elements included:

• Focusing information and activities each month on one of four early math concepts to make them easy to learn
• Providing hands-on math experiences through storytime, events, workshops and play-based programs
• Featuring a library resource each month to show how it supports math learning
• Partnering with the California Early Math Project to create and distribute 2,500 early math tip cards.

The initiative’s goal is to expand early math learning. Success indicators are:

• Staff reports of adults doing early math activities with their child using tip cards and toys and requests for even more math resources.
• Survey results from tip card users showed that most respondents tried 2-5 activities and reported that the information was “very helpful” in supporting their child’s learning
• New partnerships provided expert guidance from educator and author Dr. JaNay Brown-Wood and the California Early Math Project.
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