About
The Math Lab, co-directed by Rebecca Merkley and Jo-Anne LeFevre, is actively involved in various math cognition projects with collaborators worldwide. Our mission is to conduct research on cognitive processes related to numerical and mathematical abilities, investigating different aspects of mathematical cognition across ages and cultures. We seek to understand fundamental cognitive processes and numeracy skills and how those skills are important in real-world applications.
The Mathlab participates in the AIM Collective. The goal of the AIM Collective is to develop early math assessment and instruction tools that support all children in reaching their full potential in math. As part of the AIM Collective, tools to support children’s numeracy learning are being disseminated to partner school boards and districts across Canada. We are excited to be building a community of researchers and educators dedicated to sharing evidence-informed, teacher-approved math tools and resources.
Members of the MathLab also participate in the AIM Research Centre (ARC). The purpose of ARC is to develop and disseminate an early numeracy screener, the Early Math Assessment @ School (EMA@School). The EMA@School is available in paper and digital versions, the latter through a partnership with Vretta, a Canadian Educational Technology Company.
We are also currently collaborating on the ToyBox project with Dr. Sheri-Lynn Skwarchuk at the University of Winnipeg, which provides free literacy and numeracy support for parents and caregivers with children between the ages of 2-8 years old. ToyBox offers activities at different levels focusing on letters, numbers, and wellness. Toybox is designed to provide families with young children access to evidence-supported activities that will support their development.
Students at the undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels actively contribute to numerous research projects. Some of the research that our members are doing includes investigating the role of finger counting in numeracy learning among preschoolers, individual differences in counting among adults, and tracing the development of numeracy skills across the early grades.
Furthermore, we actively participate in knowledge mobilization efforts. Our team members actively participate in local, national, and international academic conferences to present their work. We also partner with educators and community members to achieve a balanced approach between research and ‘real world’ applications. We thus organize workshops and routinely post on our social media pages to share our research findings and behind-the-scenes look at all that we do in the MathLab.