Early mathematical competencies are

Early mathematical competencies are highly relevant for later education outcomes. Whilst there is a growing awareness that children need to already be supported in their mathematical learning in kindergarten,there is little consensus about the best pedagogical approach. Kindergarten educators mayemphasise that mathematical activities need to be embedded in everyday situations or that early learning needs to be based on play, even though theunderstanding of play itself varies . Furthermore, kindergarten educatorsmight use a training programme for mathematics, to ensure that mathematical competencies are explicitly fostered. Little research exists on the effectiveness of these approaches, asthey have not yet been systematically compared regarding the learning gains for all children and for outcomes of children with differing levels of competencies. The researchproject presented here compares the effectiveness of a play-based approach with card andboard games with a training programme Krajewski, Nieding, and with a control group. In addition, educators’ acceptance of an approachis important for effective implementation. Therefore, educators’ views need also to betaken into account. This paper addresses the following research questions: how does theplay-based approach with card and board games compare with the training programmeregarding children’s mathematical learning gains? Are there differentiated effects for children with differing mathematical competencies? What are educators’ experiences with andviews on the play-based approach and the training programme?