Although quantitative considerations have frequently dominated discussions in recent years, qualitative considerations have greater significance. Thus, how well children come to understand mathematical ideas is far more important than how many skills they acquire. The success with which programs at later grade levels achieve their goals depends largely on the quality of the foundation that is established during the first five years of school. Build beliefs about what mathematics is, about what it means to know and do mathematics, and about children's view of themselves as mathematics learners . The beliefs that young children form influence not only their thinking and performance during this time but also their attitude and decisions about studying mathematics in later years.
Beliefs also become more resistant to change as children grow older.
Thus, affective dimensions of learning play a significant role in, and must influence, curriculum and instruction. The K-4 curriculum should be conceptually oriented . The view that the K-4 curriculum should emphasize the development of mathematical understandings and relationships is reflected in the discussions about the content and emphasis of the curriculum. A conceptual approach enables children to acquire clear and stable concepts by constructing meanings in the context of physical situations and allows mathematical abstractions to emerge from empirical experience. A strong conceptual framework also provides anchoring for skill acquisition.