Counting is acquired through activities that are naturalistic and informal.
Topic Description Estimated Time (In Minutes) Arrival Activity Students draw a picture illustrating something about doing their exemplar activity with children. They share their pictures during small group discussion about Midterm projects. 10 Welcome, Announcements, and Agenda Give a general overview of the session and any relevant announcements, and provide time for sharing. 10 Discussion: Sharing about Midterms Students generate questions to ask each other about their experiences doing their exemplar activity with children. In small groups they talk with each other about what they did and learned. 40 Science Focus: Air and Wind Students participate in the exemplar activity: Air and Wind. They follow their curiosity to come up with fun challenges using the objects and air pushers they brought to class. They brainstorm ideas for integrating math into this activity. 30 Discussion: Teaching Science and Math in the context of different educational approaches Students reflect on how the approach to science and math presented in this course fits with different educational philosophies they may be familiar with. 15 Discussion: Concept development through development through naturalistic, informal and structured learning experiences Students are introduced to three types of learning experiences: "naturalistic," "informal" and "structured." Students brainstorm examples of these three types of learning experiences on the topic of air and wind to reinforce the idea that children need all three kinds of experiences in order to build conceptual understandings and skills. 35 Looking Ahead to Next Session Go over the materials that students will be responsible for bringing next session. 10
This account describes how number develops in the preschool range, from about three to five years, and provides a more detailed overview of the various skills and understandings that children need in order to achieve competence in counting. A curriculum with intentional teaching should address all of these topics. Show
by Herbert P. Ginsburg Children Develop an Everyday MathContext and overview More/less Order
Again young children tend to rely too much on appearances to solve the problems. Same number
The idea of adding as resulting in more and subtracting in less
Later instruction needs to build on all of these ideas when written numbers are introduced. Learning the Counting WordsContext and overview Rote memory plus Structure Counting Things: How Many Are There?Context and overview Principles needed to understand enumeration
Given these rules and principles, there are several ways to enumerate with accuracy. Children need to be able to:
Children need to learn to use these approaches in appropriate situations. For example, if there are only two objects, subitizing may useful, but if there are nine, then pushing objects aside may be indicated. Understanding cardinality Common mistakes or misconceptions Everyday Numerical Addition and SubtractionContext and overview Understanding addition
Strategies used to add (or subtract)
More features of numerical addition and subtraction
Number SenseContext and overview Thinking instead of calculating Use what is convenient Knowing what’s plausible or impossible Understanding relationships Fluency Estimation The Transition to Written, Symbolic MathContext and overview Everyday origins and formal math Schools certainly have to teach formal math. But doing so is not easy. Even if they are competent in everyday math, children may have trouble making sense of and connecting their informal knowledge to what is taught in school. Teachers often do not teach symbolism effectively. If children get off on the wrong symbolic foot, the result may be a nasty fall down the educational stairs. So the goal for teachers is to help children, even beginning in preschool, to understand why symbols are used, and to use them in a meaningful way to connect already-known informal mathematics to formal symbolic mathematics. The teacher needs to “mathematize” children’s everyday, personal math; that is, help children connect their informal system with the formal mathematics taught in school. It’s not ill-advised or developmentally inappropriate to introduce symbols to young children, if the activity is motivating and meaningful. On the contrary, it is crucial for the teaching of symbols to begin early on, but again, if and only if it is done in a meaningful way. Here are key issues surrounding the introduction of formal math to young children: Young children have a hard time connecting numerals and the symbols of arithmetic (+ and -) to their own everyday math The equals sign (=) is a daunting challenge The solution Manipulatives can help Conclusion The basics of number are interesting and deep. Although young children develop a surprisingly competent everyday mathematics, they have a lot to learn and teachers can help. Resource Type Handout Suggested Resources Counting Anna CountsA thinking story about one child’s counting from one to 99 (she says she has to ask her mother about what comes after that). A thinking... Go to Resource > Icon Operations What Children Know and Need to Learn about OperationsHere is a brief account of how an understanding of the operations develops in the preschool years. Go to Resource > Icon Counting Inservice: Initial EngagementA short session with preschool teachers can spark their interest in how upcoming professional development work can support them in improving... How does counting help cognitive development?Manfra also noted that when children are counting, they're performing a more cognitive activity when they're associating an object with a number to represent a quantity. Cognitive development activities develop knowledge and problem-solving skills that help children think about and understand the world around them.
What is naturalistic experience?Naturalistic experiences are those initiated spontaneously by children as they go about their daily activities. These experiences are the major mode of learning for children during the sensorimotor period. Naturalistic experiences can also be a valuable mode of learning for older children.
What children know and need to learn about counting?At first, children memorize the counting words from about one to 10 or so. But their learning doesn't involve only memory. Children learn some ideas and rules about number too, namely that proper order is essential; numbers are different from letters; and you are not supposed to skip or repeat numbers when you count.
What are the best ways for children to acquire science concepts?10 Tips to Support Children's Science Learning. Value your child's questions. ... . Explore and find the answers together. ... . Give children time and space to explore. ... . Accept that explorations are often messy. ... . Learn from mistakes together. ... . Invite curiosity. ... . Support further exploration.. |