Bringing big ideas in math to small children: math circles and other enrichment activities for elementary school students and teachers

In this talk we give a brief overview of innate mathematical knowledge and ability for children entering formal schooling and discuss the role of curriculum in continuing the development of mathematical thinking in children. We discuss the distinction between doing mathematical tasks and doing mathematics and the use of mathematics enrichment to support students in learning and doing mathematics. We then describe math circles and discuss how these can serve to introduce deep mathematics to elementary-school children and their teachers.