Mathematics During the First Five Years of Life

Extract

[...] She had ample opportunities to employ her reasoning skills to solve problems and overcome obstacles. The educator had to play the vital role of guiding, questioning, and validating Emma's mathematical thinking and actions in order to foster her engagement and learning. This cookie-baking activity embedded mathematical concepts in a playful and hands-on context, nurturing Emma's ability to explore and practice her newly formed mathematical understandings in a meaningful and fun way. Emma will be presented with numerous opportunities to leverage her growing mathematics knowledge into more and more advanced skills and understandings as she continues to engage in such experiences through a play-based curriculum (Bishop, 1988). [...]

[...] Can you name them?" Emma: "This one is a star, and this one is a heart This one is a tree, and this is a circle " (After creating her pattern), Emma: "Look, I made a pattern Star, heart, circle, star, heart, circle " Emma enthusiastically demonstrated excellent Shape Recognition skills, accurately naming the star, heart, and circle-shaped cookie cutters. Tracing their outlines with precision further showcased her shape knowledge. - Strong understanding of Sorting by first grouping the baked cookies into rows by shape. - Nuanced grasp of Patterns by creating a visually appealing repeating sequence using multiple shapes and attributes (shape and color). Her eagerness to engage with the patterns reflected her genuine interest and confidence in mathematical exploration. [...]

[...] Consequently, she could delay gratification, an essential skill in future mathematical problem-solving and logical reasoning. Apart from the above-mentioned mathematical concepts, Emma exhibited problem-solving and logical reasoning within the activity (Bishop, 1988). She soon realized that there were not sufficient chocolate chips to put on all of them, so it became her task to sprinkle them on several selected cookies to make sure that at least each had one. In this decision-making process, the child showed that she could analyze a situation, point to a problem, and work toward a logical solution-the three essential aspects of mathematical problem-solving. [...]

[...] Mathematics During the First Five Years of Life Introduction This assessment task intends to closely observe and analyze a child's mathematical understandings by engaging in authentic play and consequently plan for an additional mathematical learning experience that will build on the child's existing knowledge and skills. The daily routine and play-based activity include a number of mathematics concepts to build attitudes toward mathematics and competencies for lifelong learning. Through the observation of play-based mathematical thinking, educators may pay closer attention to the processes of cognition being used, such as what children can do, are beginning to do, or cannot do. [...]

[...] This task is related to the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics (Australian Curriculum and Assessment Reporting Authority, n.d.) descriptor ACMNA002-Connect number names, numerals, and quantities, including zero, initially up to 10 and then beyond. This also supports the Australian Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). Learning Outcome "Children are confident and involved learners"; and Learning Outcome "Children are effective communicators" (Australian Government Department of Education, Skills, and Employment [DESE], 2019). It will help develop a full-life experience that extends beyond mathematics to other aspects of life. EXPERIENCE PLAN Educator: [Your Name] Time: 45 minutes. [...]