children understand mathematical knowledge from their environment.ln the reference of the statement ,as a primary teacher,discuss the strategies used by children to acquire mathematical knowledge.
Answers
wide variety of play experiences. From the time they are born,
babies are surrounded by sense impressions. Shapes in particular
are of immediate importance: babies react instinctively to the
arrangement of shapes which make up the human face.
In the home, in parent and toddler groups, and pre-school settings,
children have many opportunities to enjoy and learn Math’s
through Play.
“Play is an effective vehicle for fostering Mathematical concepts
and developing positive attitudes to mathematics... Adults in the
pre-school setting should seek to extend informally the
mathematical experiences the children have already had in their
home environment.”
Mathematics in the Home
Mathematics is everywhere in the home. With the support of
parents, children can grasp many mathematical concepts through
their play.
Children will begin to:
• know and understand early mathematics language of
measurement, shapes, spaces, positions, early numbers, order
and patterns
• know the sequence of numbers
• begin to understand positional words, e.g. in, on, outside
• show an awareness of time
• be aware of shapes in their environment
• be aware of 1-to-1 correspondence
• acquire new vocabulary
• learn number rhymes and songs, e.g. one, two, buckle my shoe
etc.
• be aware of conservation
When we say a child “knows her numbers” what we often mean is
that she can recite the names of numbers in ascending order.
This is quite useful to be able to do, but it means very little in itself.
Children need to come to know what the number system really
means. They can be helped to do this through play.
Young children have many mathematical experiences in their
home environment. For example:
• They learn about money as they go shopping with parents
• become aware of numbers as they count the stairs to bed
• start to understand the concept of time as they become familiar
with the routine of their day – wash, dress, breakfast etc.
A child’s daily life offers many practical opportunities to learn
about number, shape, space, sorting and matching. For instance:
• setting places at the table – a cup for me, a cup for you
• playing with water
• steering the pram
• helping to sort the washing, matching socks, big shirt / small
shirt
• tidying up – putting similar items together
• matching lids to saucepans
Here are a few ways in which you can use play to learn
mathematical concepts.
Sand and Water
• Using sand can develop mathematical concepts and language,
e.g. heavy, light, empty, full, big, and little
• Conservation – how much will it hold
• Make shapes and patterns
• Provide boxes and materials of different shapes and sizes to
compare weight and quantity
• Look at the differences between wet and dry as a means of
looking at weights
Language
• You can help to promote mathematical language such as –
heavy, light, empty, full, long, short, big, small in relevant contexts
• Look at your home environment to develop language, especially
positional words – small object in front of big object, behind, in,
on
Dough
The use of dough can help to develop a mathematical
understanding for pre-school children.
• Develops mathematical language – short, long, fat, thin
• Make shapes of different dimensions – flat shapes, 3-d shapes
• Create opportunities to compare things that fl oat with things
that do not
Imaginative Play
• Simple activities like letting your child set the table for dinner
can help develop counting skills,
e.g. getting out three pieces of cutlery.
• Involve your child with household activities. After washing, allow
your child to sort clothes into different colors, or different types of
clothes, e.g. t-shirts and socks. This will help to develop a
child’s knowledge of shapes and colors.
Books and Rhymes
Enjoy stories and rhymes with your child that has a mathematical
element, e.g. “One-two, Buckle my Shoe”,
This can also help to develop literacy skills by showing your child
that the print reads from left to right.
Let your child count out items in the books – how many animals
are on the page, how many items are blue. Using rhymes can also
help develop your Childs awareness of sequencing
Physical Play
• Develop fine motor skills through physical activity, e.g. sorting
out a jigsaw, threading beads
• Block play or playing with toy cars can help to develop
sequencing by encouraging your child to sequence according to
size, color, use (e.g. bike, car, and lorry)
• Playing with different sized blocks can help to develop an
understanding of weight and dimensions.
• Tidying toys away allows children to sort into different sizes and
colors.
• It can also develop mathematical language – first, second, third,
how many are blue, which is largest / smallest.
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