1. Identify your beliefs: State what beliefs you hold about teaching and learning mathematics for each of the following:
a) What learning mathematics is for in the early childhood environment
b) The role of the teacher in children learning mathematics
c) The role of the teacher in teaching mathematics to children
d) Children and their learning of mathematics
I believe that learning mathematics in the early childhood environment encourages and promotes yet another perspective for children to establish and build upon their developing views and ideals about the world. Despite this belief, prior to undertaking this topic, I had very little understanding of how to recognise and encourage mathematical activities to children less than four years, aside from ‘basic’ number sense (such as counting) and spatial sense (like displaying knowledge of 2-D shapes) (MacMillan 2002). Despite enjoying mathematical activities during my early years at a Montessori primary school, like the participants within Holm & Kajander’s (2012) study, I have since developed a rather apprehensive attitude towards mathematics, and consequently, feel concerned about encouraging and implementing adequate mathematical learning experiences to children within the early childhood environment.
Although recent early childhood education research recognises the importance of prior-to-school learning (Perry & Dockett 2008), I find that a majority of articles articulate that both numeracy and literacy development act as ‘preparatory’ and ‘determinative’ indicators for future success in school (LeFevre et. al 2009) which, at times, overshadow and take away from the holistic, play-based framework of the Early Years Learning Framework (Australian Gov...2009). I b...
... middle of paper ...
...ett, S. (2008) . Young children’s access to powerful mathematical ideas, in English, Lyn D (ed), Handbook of international research in mathematics education, 2nd edn, New York, NY: Routledge, pp. 75-108.
Sherley, B., Clark, M. & Higgins, J. (2008) School readiness: what do teachers expect of children in mathematics on school entry?, in Goos, M., Brown, R. & Makar, K. (eds.) Mathematics education research: navigating: proceedings of the 31st annual conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australia, Brisbane, Qld: MERGA INC., pp.461-465.
Shulman, L.S. (1986) Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching. Educational Researcher, 15 (2), p.4-14.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978) Mind In Society. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Wadham, B., Pudsey, J.& Boyd, R. (2007) Culture and Education, Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Education Australia.
The article Math Is Everywhere! written by Amy Shillady goes right into the fact that preschoolers use math often throughout the day without even realizing it and that it is our job as the teacher to really take advantage of each of these little moments. The article is divided up by how to use specific common preschool classroom materials and then goes into how to support math in each of your learning centers.
Van de Walle, J., , F., Karp, K. S., & Bay-Williams, J. M. (2010). Elementary and middle school mathematics, teaching developmentally. (Seventh ed.). New York, NY: Allyn & Bacon.
Trujillo, K. M., Tracing the Roots of Mathematics Anxiety through In-Depth Interviews with Preservice Elementary Teachers http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCR/is_2_33/ai_62839422 [accessed July 2007]
The current framework is the EYFS which support children’s mathematical and literacy development. One of the EYFS principle in the Development Matters is the “unique child” concept which means that “every child is a competent learner from birth who can be resilient, capable and self-assured.”- Development Matters (www.foundationyears.org.uk) This means that every child are different but have many different skills and learning styles. The government initiative of a unique child is over the death and case study of Victoria Climbié which had an impact on the practice of Early Years practitioners. The aim of this initiative is that practitioners have to make sure that children are being supported to overcome hardship or to support those who are being neglected, “reduce their level of
Early childhood education, although constantly evolving, was actually established and practiced as early on as the times of Ancient Greece and Rome. The foundation that early childhood education is based upon is to instill in children the skills needed to succeed later on in life, while making sure young children enjoy their time in schooling. Throughout chapter 3 in the textbook Who Am I in the Lives of Children, the reader is capable of evaluating just how greatly the methods for teaching today’s youth have evolved and changed for the better.
Shulman, L. (1987). Knowledge and teaching: Foundations of the new reform. Harvard Educational Review, 57, 1-22.
Macmillan, A. (2009). Numeracy in early childhood: Shared contexts for teaching and learning. Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford.
hardy, E. F. a. C., 2013. Early Childhood Curriculum. Hume Avenue Park West Dublin 12: Gill and Macmillan.
In order to promote the best outcome from the curriculum we must consider that each child is an individual in their own right. Tricia David (2001: 55) states that early childhood should be a time of “spontaneity and of exploration according to individual interests”. Thus accounting for the child’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as their likes and dislikes, provides a curriculum, which will promote optimum development. This is also known as a ...
Skemp, R (2002). Mathematics in the Primary School. 2nd ed. London: Taylor and Francis .
The early acquisition of mathematical concepts in children is essential for their overall cognitive development. It is imperative that educators focus on theoretical views to guide and plan the development of mathematical concepts in the early years. Early math concepts involve learning skills such as matching, ordering, sorting, classifying, sequencing and patterning. The early environment offers the foundation for children to develop an interest in numbers and their concepts. Children develop and construct their own meaning of numbers through active learning rather than teacher directed instruction.
As a secondary subject, society often views mathematics a critical subject for students to learn in order to be successful. Often times, mathematics serves as a gatekeeper for higher learning and certain specific careers. Since the times of Plato, “mathematics was virtually the first thing everyone has to learn…common to all arts, science, and forms of thought” (Stinson, 2004). Plato argued that all students should learn arithmetic; the advanced mathematics was reserved for those that would serve as the “philosopher guardians” of the city (Stinson, 2004). By the 1900s in the United States, mathematics found itself as a cornerstone of curriculum for students. National reports throughout the 20th Century solidified the importance of mathematics in the success of our nation and its students (Stinson, 2004). As a mathematics teacher, my role to educate all students in mathematics is an important one. My personal philosophy of mathematics education – including the optimal learning environment and best practices teaching strategies – motivates my teaching strategies in my personal classroom.
The prominence of numeracy is extremely evident in daily life and as teachers it is important to provide quality assistance to students with regards to the development of a child's numeracy skills. High-level numeracy ability does not exclusively signify an extensive view of complex mathematics, its meaning refers to using constructive mathematical ideas to “...make sense of the world.” (NSW Government, 2011). A high-level of numeracy is evident in our abilities to effectively draw upon mathematical ideas and critically evaluate it's use in real-life situations, such as finances, time management, building construction and food preparation, just to name a few (NSW Government, 2011). Effective teachings of numeracy in the 21st century has become a major topic of debate in recent years. The debate usually streams from parents desires for their child to succeed in school and not fall behind. Regardless of socio-economic background, parents want success for their children to prepare them for life in society and work (Groundwater-Smith, 2009). A student who only presents an extremely basic understanding of numeracy, such as small number counting and limited spatial and time awareness, is at risk of falling behind in the increasingly competitive and technologically focused job market of the 21st Century (Huetinck & Munshin, 2008). In the last decade, the Australian curriculum has witness an influx of new digital tools to assist mathematical teaching and learning. The common calculator, which is becoming increasing cheap and readily available, and its usage within the primary school curriculum is often put at the forefront of this debate (Groves, 1994). The argument against the usage of the calculator suggests that it makes students lazy ...
Devlin believes that mathematics has four faces 1) Mathematics is a way to improve thinking as problem solving. 2) Mathematics is a way of knowing. 3) Mathematics is a way to improve creative medium. 4) Mathematics is applications. (Mann, 2005). Because mathematics has very important role in our life, teaching math in basic education is as important as any other subjects. Students should study math to help them how to solve problems and meet the practical needs such as collect, count, and process the data. Mathematics, moreover, is required students to be capable of following and understanding the future. It also helps students to be able to think creativity, logically, and critically (Happy & Listyani, 2011,
Preschool programs began in the United States during the first quarter of the twentieth century with the first public preschool opening in 1925 in Chicago at Franklin School. After the 1970s the popularity of preschools increased as women were entering the workforce and people believed that children needed initial skills before they attended elementary school. (“All About Preschools, History…”2).