Douglas H. Clements is an American scholar in the field of early mathematics education. Previously a preschool and kindergarten teacher, his research centers on the learning and teaching of early mathematics, computer applications for mathematics teaching, and scaling up successful educational interventions. Clements has contributed to the writing of educational standards including the

Common Core State Standards The Common Core State Standards Initiative, also known as simply Common Core, was an American, multi-state educational initiative begun in 2010 with the goal of increasing consistency across state standards, or what K–12 students throughout th ...

, the NCTM's Principles and Standards for School Mathematics and the NCTM's 2006 Curriculum Focal Points for Prekindergarten through Grade 8 Mathematics. As of 2021, he is Distinguished University Professor and the Kennedy Endowed Chair in Early Childhood Learning at the

University of Denver The University of Denver (DU) is a private research university in Denver, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1864, it has an enrollment of approximately 5,700 undergraduate students and 7,200 graduate students. It is classified among "R1: D ...

and the co-director of the Marsico Institute for Early Learning. He was previously a SUNY Distinguished Professor at the

University at Buffalo The State University of New York at Buffalo (commonly referred to as UB, University at Buffalo, and sometimes SUNY Buffalo) is a public university, public research university in Buffalo, New York, Buffalo and Amherst, New York, United States. ...

Subitizing

Clements is notable for reviving interest in the importance of perceptual and conceptual

subitizing Subitizing is the rapid, accurate, and effortless ability to perceive small quantities of items in a set, typically when there are four or fewer items, without relying on linguistic or arithmetic processes. The term refers to the sensation of in ...

in early childhood mathematics education. Perceptual subitizing is the ability to instantly recognise the number of objects in a small group, without counting. Conceptual subitising is the ability to see a whole quantity as groups of smaller quantities (for example, seeing eight as two groups of four). When learning to count, young children use subitizing to develop their understanding of cardinality. They also use their conceptual subitizing and pattern recognition skills to develop their understanding of arithmetic and number sense.

Building Blocks and Learning Trajectories

Together with Julie Sarama, Clements developed the Building Blocks curriculum and the Learning Trajectories approach to early mathematics education. Learning trajectories consist of a learning goal, a developmental path along which children develop to reach that goal, and a set of activities matched to each level in that learning path. Clements has evaluated this approach in

randomized controlled trials A randomized controlled trial (or randomized control trial; RCT) is a form of scientific experiment used to control factors not under direct experimental control. Examples of RCTs are clinical trials that compare the effects of drugs, surgical ...

and shown it to have a positive impact on children's learning. This research has influenced evidence reviews and teaching guidance produced by the

Education Endowment Foundation The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) is a charity established in 2011 to improve the educational attainment of the poorest pupils in English schools. It aims to support teachers and senior leaders by providing evidence-based resources designe ...

in the UK and the

What Works Clearinghouse What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) is a digital library of educational research which focuses on evidence-based education. A 2006 report described that many researchers perceived the WWC to be passive cataloger of available research. In contrast to ...

in the USA.Frye, D., Baroody, A. J., Burchinal, M., Carver, S. M., Jordan, N. C., & McDowell, J. (2013). Teaching math to young children: A practice guide (NCEE 2014-4005). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE), Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved from the NCEE website: http://whatworks.ed.gov

Personal life

Clements is married to fellow early mathematics researcher and collaborator Professor Julie Sarama. He has four children: Luke Clements, Abby Clements, Leah Meredith, and Ryan Clements.

External links

Learning Trajectories websiteDouglas Clements on TwitterPortfolio on University of Denver website

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clements, Douglas 1950 births Educators from New York (state) Education writers University of Denver faculty Mathematical cognition researchers Living people Educational researchers University at Buffalo faculty Date of birth missing (living people)