Southern Cross University (SCU) educators and local teachers have developed a five-lesson instructional sequence built around fluke identification as a way of resolving the question: How fast do humpback whales travel up the east coast of Australia?

Good early mathematics is broader and deeper than early practice on "school skills." High-quality mathematics should be a joy--not a pressure. It can emerge from children's play, their curiosity, and their natural ability to think. This article describes the areas of mathematics that young children can learn, and encourages elementary teachers to…