Creation of Mathematics Learning Resources - Essay Example

The Creation of Mathematics Learning Resources Name Institutional Affiliation The Creation of Mathematics Learning Resources The Resources It is widely acknowledged that the appropriate and effective teaching and learning of mathematics generates opportunities and comprehensively improves the lives of the people of any given country. With effective mathematics learning resources in the country, the Australian students would be equipped with the necessary mathematical skills that would advance their numeracy awareness that is necessary for their contemporary personal activities, civic life, and workplaces. For the children to become proficient in this subject their respective teachers would be required to expose them to various structured mathematical activities and tasks (Australian Curriculum, n.d.). McIntosh et.al (1997) as cited by Paula (2014) define number sense as an individual’s general understanding of numbers and operations along with the ability and inclination to use the understanding flexibly in making effective mathematical judgments and in developing useful and efficient ways of managing numerical situations. Structured mathematical activities and tasks help the students to be confident and self-motivated by enabling them to question and participate actively in challenging experiences (Australian Curriculum, n.d.). Through a properly structured mathematics learning resource, a teacher can come up with an engaging task that is designed to assist the students in mastering number work. To effectively develop the resources, the early childhood education (ECD) teachers would need to be knowledgeable of the theories of the childhood learning concepts and the purpose of the ECD programs. The principles and practices of the early years learning framework (EYLF) describe a teacher only as the facilitator of the learning process (Commonwealth of Australia, 2010). The Australian curriculum covers the foundation of teaching and learning in the early years of schooling. The curriculum caters to the different needs, interests, and aspirations of every child by focusing on the individual emotional, social, physical, and academic development of each student. It also provides an opportunity to the parents to associate with various strategies of developing numeracy capabilities in the ECD learning programs. For instance, it guides the parents on how to provide chances for their children to budget their lunch and picnics at school, organize their pocket money, check if they receive the right change after purchase, and frequently to ask questions that give the best solutions to issues such as the prices before and after discount, the time to take breakfast or supper, or the shortest route to school (Northern Territory Government of Australia, 2016). Fig. 1: Numbers written on pieces of clear paper (Phuong, 2016). Teachers as well constitute the resourceful agents who can further the children’s understanding of the unlimited mathematical concepts. Figure 1 demonstrates an example of a classroom activity that ECD tutors can use to develop and advance number sense in young students. A teacher can make some cut outs of any shapes and sizes from a clear paper and use a colour pen to write numbers on them as shown. The cut-outs should be arranged in a sequential manner in the order of a number line, that is, from the smallest to the largest number. It is necessary to ensure that each child is widely involved in the activity. The teacher could instruct the children to make cut-outs in the shapes that they desire. The children can also be provided with bright paints to colour the cut-outs and number them (New Jersey Department of Education, 2014). Fig. 2: Colour pencils placed on the clear piece of paper (Phuong, 2016) Figure 2 shows an alternative colouring and numbering task. The task should be carried out in a spacious room to avoid confusion and congestion. In this particular task, the teacher should instruct the children to keep the clear papers apart for clarity. The teacher can then provide the children with colour pencils or nay colourful objects and allow them to place the pencils according to the numbers written on the clear paper as shown. Fig. 3: A child counting tiny fish carvings (Phuong, 2016). Alternatively, the teacher can make colourful cut-outs of numbers from one to ten or use plasticine to come with different numbers as demonstrated in figure 3. After which, the teacher should gather simple containers of the same size and varied colours and place them accordingly to match the colour of the numbers. Another container or bowl with beads, carvings, or any small items should then be used to keep them. After you organising all the items, the teacher can then instruct the children to count the items or beads from the bowl and place them in the small containers to match the numbers beside them. Through such activities, the Australian curriculum anticipates that ECD centres would be capable of ensuring that all the students gain the meaningful basic concepts of mathematics. Such activities have the capacity to develop the children’s power of mathematical reasoning. They enable the teachers to help the young students apply their mathematical skills creatively and effectively (Australian Curriculum, n.d.). The Learning Needs of the Children Studies in the early childhood mathematics practices recommend that the educators have the duty of providing appropriate learning resources. A physical environment rich in learning materials is suitable for the early development of mathematical knowledge. The environment should also be changed occasionally to promote curiosity, stimulate new inquiries, and create new understanding among the children. The mathematics learning resources can be of any kind in that the teachers could utilize the technologically advanced products or any other manipulative materials and still teach significant mathematical ideas. Nevertheless, the items used should be familiar to the child and be easily accessible. For instance, the containers used in the mathematics activities illustrated in figures 1, 2, and 3 are usually readily available at any home. Given their wide availability, a teacher could instruct the children to come with ice-cream containers or yoghurt tins for the activity. The colour pencils are also easily available, though they can be replaced by things like pegs, bottle-tops, straws, or shells. Normally, all children are accommodative and, as such, would not require expensive items or games to nurture their early mathematical knowledge (Neal, 2007). Still, the teacher should be colour sensitive when selecting the learning and teaching materials. Dull colours have been demonstrated to frequently shut off a child’s interest. As such, most items should be colourful to capture the children’s interest as depicted in figures 1, 2, and 3. The size of the objects should also be reasonable for the children to handle and carry out the tasks comfortably and effectively (Neal, 2007). Children can also be trained to use their sensory organs through the utilization of a wide range of items such as boxes, containers, cut-outs, beads, papers, pencils, or carvings. As they arrange, count, and match the numbers and items, the children will be able to feel the texture and appreciate the different colours, shapes, and sizes of the objects present in the structured activity. Young children learn by exploring their world, engaging in play, and having hands on experience with the things in their immediate environments. In the process, their visual memory is enhanced as they observe the different patterns, colours, and numbers. In addition, most young children enjoy listening to stories. As such, through these stories, the children can be made to explore the number rhymes by singing along with the teacher. After the exploration, the teacher can actively discuss the sequence of numbers with the children. With the current advancements in technology, the children’s mathematical experiences can be enhanced with the use of calculators and computers among other technologies. Basic calculators may be incorporated in play-stations and downloadable games for the very young children. These resourceful activities act as a strong foundation that would eventually help the students handle the increasingly abstract concepts in the upper levels of their schooling. When developing the mathematics learning resources it is also essential to assess each associated mathematical instruction (Commonwealth of Australia, 2010). The assessment involves interpreting the children’s learning capacities against the expected learning outcomes to assist in the planning of further learning. It is also necessary to report to the parents and other stakeholders on how each child is learning. Teachers should understand that a single assessment tool cannot provide a full picture of a child’s real progress. As such, each assessment tool must be used to examine a specific milestone. The EYLF asserts that each child must have a chance to learn and acquire knowledge before being subjected to any assessment. Teachers have varying mathematics beliefs and confidences concerning the early childhood education programs. Platas (2014) conducted a survey with a tool that was tailored to measure the age-appropriateness of a given mathematics concept, classroom interaction and generation of mathematical knowledge, and the level of confidence in teaching mathematics and reported that most teachers have a positive attitude towards the early mathematics education approaches. The results of the survey also affirmed that the confidence of a teacher relies on the specific concepts to be taught the teacher’s personal teaching skills. To some teachers, their confidence remains higher despite their low teaching capabilities (Chen, McCray, Adams, & Leow, 2014). A teacher’s confidence is paramount in creating rich learning activities (Southey, 2012). In sum, despite the current widely improved attitudes towards mathematics education, mathematical competence is still a subject of great interest among the mathematics educators as affirmed by Hurst and Cooke (2014). Early childhood teachers usually should prioritize the mathematics education given that it constitutes caring for the children. The teachers are accountable for the progress of the children and their personal achievement in their future professional performance and conduct. As such, the teachers should model effective strategies to build and advance children’s critical thinking, problem-solving, and listening skill by implementing the right ECD practices through various mathematics learning resources. References Australian Curriculum. (n.d.). Learning area: Rationale. Australian Curriculum, Assessment, and Reporting Authority. Retrieved from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Mathematics/Rationale Chen, J., McCray, J. Adams, M. & Leow, C. (2014). A survey study of early childhood teachers’ beliefs and confidence about teaching early math. Early Childhood Education Journal, 42(6). 367–377. Commonwealth of Australia. (2010). Educator’s guide to the early years learning framework for Australia. Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations for the Council of Australian Governments. Retrieved from http://files.acecqa.gov.au/files/National-Quality-Framework-Resources-Kit/educators_guide_to_the_early_years_learning_framework_for_australia.pdf Hurst, C. & Cooke, A. (2014). Seeking a balance: Helping pre-service teachers develop positive attitudes towards mathematics as they develop competency. Scientific Research Publishing Inc. Retrieved from http://www.scirp.org/JOURNAL/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=43885 McGregor, B. (2013). What do we mean by number concept? Learning and Teaching in the Early Years, 19(1), 18-23. Neal, D. (2007). Using Appropriate Resources to Assist in Developing Mathematical ideas. The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers Inc. Retrieved from http://www.aamt.edu.au/content/download/7300/94434/file/resources.pdf New Jersey Department of Education. (2014). Preschool teaching and learning standards. Retrieved from http://www.nj.gov/education/ece/guide/standards.pdf Northern Territory Government of Australia (2016). NT school curriculum. Retrieved from https://nt.gov.au/learning/primary-and-secondary-students/nt-school-curriculum/primary-years-curriculum Paula, M. (2014). Number sense development in the pre-primary classroom how is it communicated? Farlex Inc. Retrieved from https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Number+sense+development+in+the+pre-primary+classroom+how+is+it...-a0387827401 Phuong, M. (2016). Teach children to count and recognize numbers in just 6 simple steps. Me Kheo Cham Con. Retrieved from http://mekheochamcon.com/day-con-dem-va-nhan-biet-chi-voi-6-buoc-don-gian/ Platas, L. M. (2014). The mathematical development beliefs survey: Validity and reliability of a measure of preschool teachers’ beliefs about the learning and teaching of early mathematics. SAGE Publications. Retrieved from http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1476718X14523746 Southey, S. (2012). Design + Play = Maths. Journal of Learning and Teaching in the Early Childhood Years, 18(1). 42 – 44. Read More