How Children Learn Through Maths in Early Childhood
I am going to be explaining how infants, toddlers and young children learn through mathematics. The five area I will cover are number, algebra, geometry measurement and statistics. Children will learn maths over time, it's not a sudden development they will understand and use. With time and a base to build they will soon learn and be confident learners in school (Perkins, 2003).
When we teachers speak to infants, we may use numbers when we speak or sing to them. Such as five little ducks, has the numbers 1-5 throughout the song. The children may not understand how many five are but will be exposed to number and what they mean. Another example for infants and toddlers is when we count stairs on their way up to have their nappy changed, and whilst we change their nappy we may count how many feet they have when putting their shoes on (Perkins, 2003).
Toddlers have more understanding of numbers as many have started with verbal communication. The children may start to count the stairs themselves, or notice they have two feet or arms as they put their clothes on. Although the child has shown the development and competence in mathematical concepts and by using it in their verbal communication (Ministry of Education, 1996), are the children really counting and understanding what the numbers mean or do they just count because that's we have taught them to do? Have teachers enforced children to learn numbers before they are ready to understand what numbers mean?
However a young child would have experienced numbers before they reached 3-4 but at this age they do use them during play. For example I observed a child counting out the stickers she had in her hand, making sure each child had the same number, which was three. If she hadn't learnt her numbers when she had would she have been able to do that? There is another example I have come across, a child counting biscuits. He counts five and was asked to take two from the plate. He said I cannot because two have
When we teachers speak to infants, we may use numbers when we speak or sing to them. Such as five little ducks, has the numbers 1-5 throughout the song. The children may not understand how many five are but will be exposed to number and what they mean. Another example for infants and toddlers is when we count stairs on their way up to have their nappy changed, and whilst we change their nappy we may count how many feet they have when putting their shoes on (Perkins, 2003).
Toddlers have more understanding of numbers as many have started with verbal communication. The children may start to count the stairs themselves, or notice they have two feet or arms as they put their clothes on. Although the child has shown the development and competence in mathematical concepts and by using it in their verbal communication (Ministry of Education, 1996), are the children really counting and understanding what the numbers mean or do they just count because that's we have taught them to do? Have teachers enforced children to learn numbers before they are ready to understand what numbers mean?
However a young child would have experienced numbers before they reached 3-4 but at this age they do use them during play. For example I observed a child counting out the stickers she had in her hand, making sure each child had the same number, which was three. If she hadn't learnt her numbers when she had would she have been able to do that? There is another example I have come across, a child counting biscuits. He counts five and was asked to take two from the plate. He said I cannot because two have