Luba Vangelova

From birth, it is important for practitioners to support the early years’ mathematical development. Children learn emergent maths which is a “term used to describe children construct mathematics from birth” (Geist, 2010). The Early Years Statuary Frameworks (EYFS) (Department of Education) states that maths is one of the specific areas.

When I was in the eighth grade, I had two very contrasting instructors. One instructor was remarkably entertaining, but the other instructor was truly ordinary and tedious. The teacher who was engaging taught mathematics, and the stale teacher taught me literature. The both of them taught my two favorite subjects at the time; however, as the school year went on, my interest in literature declined and my interest in mathematics rose to a special high. The literature teacher taught like every traditional teacher. This instructor’s class had the same routine everyday. The class consisted of taking turns reading out loud and at the end of class, the teacher would stand by the door and hand out the homework for that night, which was over what we read in class. No one looked forward to going to that particular class because it was the same lifeless routine everyday; however, my mathematic teacher was an unpredictable person. He transformed work problems into little games. His teaching tactic goes as follows: he would spend the first half of our hour long class lecturing, then he spent the last half of class constructing work problems on the board with random, absurd work problems. If you got a question right, he gave you the option of either shooting a ball of notebook paper into a basket or throw to the same ball of paper at a bullseye target that was poorly drawn on the board. The trick was either you can receive a piece of candy

Algebra is a critical aspect of mathematics which provides the means to calculate unknown values. According to Bednarz, Kieran and Lee (as cited in Chick & Harris, 2007), there are three basic concepts of simple algebra: the generalisation of patterns, the understanding of numerical laws and functional situations. The understanding of these concepts by children will have an enormous bearing on their future mathematical capacity. However, conveying these algebraic concepts to children can be difficult due to the abstract symbolic nature of the math that will initially be foreign to the children. Furthermore, each child’s ability to recall learned numerical laws is vital to their proficiency in problem solving and mathematical confidence. It is obvious that teaching algebra is not a simple task. Therefore, the importance of quality early exposure to fundamental algebraic concepts is of significant importance to allow all

Numeracy development is important for all children as maths is an important part of everyday life. The way in which maths is taught has changed greatly over the years. When I was at school we were taught one method to reach one answer. Now, particularly in early primary phase, children are taught different methods to reach an answer, which includes different methods of working out and which also develops their investigation skills. For example, by the time children reach year six, the different methods they would have been taught for addition would be number lines,

Van de Walle, J, Karp, K. S. & Bay-Williams, J. M. (2015). Elementary and Middle School Mathematics Teaching Developmentally. (9th ed.). England: Pearson Education Limited.

Mathematical activities at Ysgol Dolafon are delivered in accordance with pupil’s individual needs and great deal of emphasis is given to continuity of learning. Ample opportunity is provided for pupils to discuss their understanding of concepts as they progress and teachers are aware of the importance of eliminating any gaps in the children’s mathematical knowledge. The Welsh Assembly Government guideline for Mathematical Development maintains that: ‘It is crucial that gaps in children’s mathematical learning are avoided, so that children do not miss out on essential elements in their understanding of mathematical concepts’ (WAG 2008) and Ysgol Dolafon fully agrees with that statement.

Every day, mathematics is used in our lives. From playing sports or games to cooking, these activities require the use of mathematical concepts. For young children, mathematical learning opportunities are all around them. Knaus (2013) states that ‘Young children are naturally curious and eager to learn about their surroundings and the world they live in’ (pg.1). Children, young and old, and even adults, learn when they explore, play and investigate. By being actively involved, engaging in activities that are rich, meaningful, self-directed and offer problem solving opportunities, children given the chance to make connections with their world experiences (Yelland, Butler & Diezmann, 1999). As an educator of young children,

Teachers play an important role in fostering mathematics skills. In the “play dough” (Appendix A) episode, the educators can push student thinking and place the burden of thought on the student. Strategic questioning can really promote higher order thinking a natural integration between math and play (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics [NCTM], 1999). Questions such as “How can you tell which one is the biggest/smallest? How do you put them in order? Teachers should be encouraged to think about, not only the questions they are asking as children are working but also the frame that sets students off to larger problem solving and mathematical discoveries – measure and compare the lengths and capacities (ACARA, 2016). It is important for teachers to think about the questions that are embedded in the task itself but must also analyse the questions to ensure that children are set on a path to deeper understanding of the concept being taught rather than rote regurgitation – as evident in the play dough experience chosen. When it comes to questioning, educators “need to know when to probe, when to wait for answers and when to reinforce responses and when not ta ask questions” (NCTM, 1999, p.187). As seen in the ‘play dough’ (Appendix A) activity chosen, educators can introduce the mathematical concept of measurement and connect new knowledge with old through the use of effective questioning which crates a “link between actions and the language” (Knaus, 2013,

There are different national frameworks and policies that are used for the development of mathematical learning from 3 to 8 years old.

Geometry and Algebra are so crucial to the development of the world it is taught to every public high school in the United States, around 14.8 million teenagers each year (National Center for Education Statistics). Mathematics is the engine powering our world; our stocks, economy, technology, and science are all based off from math. Math is our universal and definite language “I was especially delighted with the mathematics, on account of the certitude and evidence of their reasonings.” (Rene Descartes, 1637).

Children at this age also have different skills related to numeracy. Fostering numeracy skills in early childhood education not only predicts for later Math achievement but also for greater literacy skills (NAEYC, 2009). Since mathematical concepts are often intertwined with so many areas such as science, literacy, dramatic play, block building, and more, math learning centers offering interdisciplinary materials and activities ensure that young children grow to understand and appreciate the real life applications of mathematical concepts (Fu, 2010).

Math manipulatives can have a positive effect on the learning experience of a child. These manipulatives can help students maintain focus and develop a stronger overall understanding of mathematics (Florence). Students respond well to the addition of hands-on activities versus a strictly traditional lecture method of learning. The sense of touch and handling of objects kinesthetically kindles the interest and imagination of the students and assists in building understanding and beyond drill and stimulus-response method used.

In today’s society mathematics is a vital part of day-to-day life. No matter what a person is doing at home or at the workplace, he/she is constantly using different mathematics skills to simply function. Then what does this mean for mathematics education? When someone needs to utilize a skill every day then he/she needs a strong background in the skill. Therefore, today’s students need more than a just a working knowledge of mathematics or enough knowledge to pass a test. Today’s students need to understand how mathematics works and how to utilize mathematics skills in the best way possible.

Maths is ubiquitous in our lives, but depending on the learning received as a child it could inspire or frighten. If a child has a negative experience in mathematics, that experience has the ability to affect his/her attitude toward mathematics as an adult. Solso (2009) explains that math has the ability to confuse, frighten, and frustrate learners of all ages; Math also has the ability to inspire, encourage and achieve. Almost all daily activities include some form of mathematical procedure, whether people are aware of it or not. Possessing a solid learning foundation for math is vital to ensure a lifelong understanding of math. This essay will discuss why it is crucial to develop in children the ability to tackle problems with initiative and confidence (Anghileri, 2006, p. 2) and why mathematics has changed from careful rehearsal of standard procedures to a focus on mathematical thinking and communication to prepare them for the world of tomorrow (Anghileri).

Mathematics, like every creation of man, have evolved without really knowing how far you can get with them: the scope of the computer, physics, chemistry, algebra, all are evidence of this. Every aspect of our culture is based in some way or another in Mathematics: language, music, dance, art, sculpture, architecture, biology, daily life. All these areas of measurements and calculations are accurate. Even in nature, everything follows a precise pattern and a precise order: a flower, a shell, a butterfly, day and night, the seasons. All this makes mathematics essential for human life and they can not be limited only to a matter within the school curriculum; here lies the importance of teaching math in a pleasure, enjoyable and understandable way. Mathematics is an aid to the development of the child and should be seen as an aid to life and not as an obstacle in their lifes.