Why Math For Kindergarten Worksheets Use Is Sparking A Local Stir - The Creative Suite
The first time Maria Lopez held a kindergarten math worksheet, it wasn’t the familiar arrow-and-circle exercises she’d expected. Instead, her 5-year-old daughter stared at a simple sentence: “This shape is a triangle.” The blank line under “is” loomed—not just as a grammatical placeholder, but as a threshold. A threshold between play and formal instruction, between intuitive learning and rigid curriculum. That moment, in a modest classroom in Southside Chicago, became a microcosm of a growing conversation: why is the word “is” such a charged symbol in early math education?
The use of “is” in early math worksheets—“Two is 2,” “A circle is round”—seems elementary, even trivial. But beneath this simplicity lies a complex negotiation between cognitive development, linguistic precision, and educational policy. Cognitive scientists point to the “symbol grounding problem”: young children don’t just learn numbers—they must map symbols to meaning. The word “is” acts as a linguistic anchor, bridging sensory experience with abstract representation. Yet this bridge is not neutral. It carries assumptions about how knowledge is transmitted, and who holds authority in the classroom.
The Hidden Weight of “Is”
At first glance, “is” appears harmless—logical, definitive. But in early math, it functions as more than a copula; it’s a cognitive gatekeeper. When a child writes “Three is 3,” they’re not just stating a fact—they’re internalizing equivalence. This is where “is” becomes a tool of abstraction, demanding a leap from concrete objects to symbolic logic. For a 6-year-old, this leap is neither automatic nor seamless. Research from the National Center for Children in Poverty shows that children who struggle with symbolic translation often falter not due to lack of intelligence, but because the language of math feels disconnected from their lived experience.
Educators observe a shift in classroom dynamics. Traditional play-based learning—building blocks, sorting objects—relies on intuitive, sensory engagement. But standardized kindergarten curricula, increasingly influenced by global benchmarks like PISA and OECD assessments, prioritize symbolic fluency. “The word ‘is’ is the first grammar of math,” notes Dr. Elena Torres, a developmental psychologist at the University of Illinois. “It’s not just about matching numbers—it’s about claiming ownership over concepts.” This framing turns “is” into a marker of cognitive mastery, but it also heightens pressure on children to perform symbolic translation before they’re neurologically primed.
From Play to Premature Formalism: The Local Impact
In neighborhoods like Southside Chicago’s, where resource constraints already strain early education, the emphasis on “is” as a foundational verb has sparked quiet but intense debate. Parents and teachers alike question: Are we accelerating learning or accelerating anxiety? A 2023 survey by local schools found that 68% of kindergarten teachers feel “pressured to introduce symbolic language early,” yet 52% report rising frustration when children resist rote memorization without conceptual grounding.
This tension reflects a broader, global trend: the push to “schoolify” early childhood education. In Finland, where play remains central, math worksheets rarely use “is” in isolation—children explore patterns through manipulation, not memorization. In contrast, high-stakes testing regimes in some U.S. districts treat “is” as a threshold to pass, not a bridge to understanding. The result? A rift between pedagogical ideals and policy mandates, one that plays out daily in classrooms.
The Path Forward: Balance Over Binary
The stir isn’t about rejecting “is”—it’s about redefining its role. Educators are experimenting with hybrid approaches: starting with tactile activities, then introducing “is” only after children have built intuitive understanding. In a pre-K class in Denver, teachers use stories: “A triangle has three sides—so when we say ‘This is a triangle,’ we’re not just naming. We’re noticing a pattern.” This narrative framing makes “is” a revelation, not a rule.
Ultimately, the debate over “is” reveals a deeper struggle: how to honor children’s innate ways of learning while preparing them for symbolic systems. It’s not about speed or rigidity—it’s about timing, empathy, and trust. As Maria Lopez observes, “My daughter didn’t need a worksheet to see that a triangle *is* a triangle. She just needed time to *feel* it first.” The word “is” matters most when it follows, not precedes, a child’s own discovery.
In a world obsessed with early achievement, the quiet power of “is” lies in its ability to honor both logic and wonder. It’s not just a word—it’s a conversation starter, a cognitive tool, and a mirror of how we teach the next generation to think. And somewhere, in classrooms across the nation, that conversation is finally unfolding.