A Part-Part-Whole Curriculum for Teaching Number in the Kindergarten

Abstract

The set-subset relationship is an important mathematical construct that underlies many mathematical concepts developed by young children. Forty-two kindergarten children who received number concept instruction using a part-part-whole curriculum that stressed set-subset relationships developed a more mature concept of number, were more successful in solving addition and subtraction word problems, and developed greater understanding of place value in the base-10 numeration system than a comparable group of 44 kindergarten children who received standard instruction on number concepts.