Mathematical Concepts and Processes in Storytelling - Literature review Example

Abstract

Children love stories. Teachers like to tell stories, as well. Teachers believe that this is a useful tool in teaching. While teaching mathematics, it’s key to create images both by the teacher and the learners (Ransom, 2012). Storytelling at the introduction level creates these images which bear the same meaning to both the teacher and the learner.

Bikner-Ahsbahs, Knipping, and Presmeg (2016) argue that the most critical initial step of learning is to create interest in the learner. When a teacher describes a sequence of events, learners become engaged, excited and develop an appeal to find solutions to a particular problem. This can easily be achieved by using the storytelling technique.

Introduction

Telling stories about heroes is very important as learners become enthusiasts and occasionally would want to think like the heroes in the story. Telling a story during a mathematics lesson improves thinking and understanding difficult concepts (McGrath, 2014).

Walle, Karp and Bay-Williams (2018) have been instrumental in improving the teaching of mathematics. According to these authors, sparkling learner's interest in using a story is easily achievable. Most teachers, however, aim at retaining this interest for the longest possible time during the lesson; hence they tell endless stories. The best information should involve problem-solving at the end to enhance critical thinking. The fact that storytelling shapes and orient the listeners' thinking is mentioned by Caldwell and Cullingford (2017).

Recent findings by Major (2011) shows that stories are different. Some are humorous, while others are sorrowful. This finding shows promising results. However, it's majorly significant to young learners (2-4 years old). Sad stories make the children empathetic and eager to know how the sorrow was overcome. This improves problem-solving skills.

The Chairman of the General Council of the U.K. Association of Teachers (ATM) argues that this technique is vital in teaching place value, decimal and other selected areas in the early stages of learning. He further states that storytelling is traditional. Images created while telling a story while teaching mathematics enable each learner to review his or her memories, aspirations and experiences in life, (McGrath, 2014). The children see mathematics in a natural way when it is connected to literature. This is pedagogical since it improves understanding of abstract mathematical problems.

A comfortable image to the learners improves their approach toward abstract concepts. Also, according to Ransom (2012), encouraging young children to use the storytelling technique in mathematics improves their mental development. The stories improve their literacy skills as well as communication among them, a skill useful in group learning.

Kids often struggle while handling abstract mathematical concepts in school. Hence teachers have continued to generate ideas to handle such cases. Dionne (2016) recommends applying concrete models together with physical materials before introducing the abstract concepts. However, McGrath (2014) realized that manipulatives in explaining ideas in Mathematics bear little fruits in the long run. In the recent past, scientists have developed a mechanism which many teachers have supplemented with manipulation to help improve children interest and understanding of mathematics.

Ransom (2012) applauds the Australian Government’s commitment to promoting the learning of young children through EYLF, otherwise referred to as the Early Years Learning Framework. This initiative promotes learning by providing a friendly environment to children from birth. The aim is to accommodate all learners putting into consideration the individual differences, needs and ambitions with emphasis on quality.

Caldwell and Cullingford (2017) note that EYFL three pillars, namely, being, belonging and becoming, have been appreciated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).The initiative ensures that every learner is given an equal opportunity to learn. This is reflected in the five major principles of EYLF, namely partnership, equity, respect for diversity, ongoing learning and respect (Horstmeier, 2016). During the implementation of EYFL programs and learning strategies, a child is given the best chance to create a prosperous future individually and for society. Teachers get the best opportunity to ensure the objectives of this initiative are achieved, and every learner is taken care of.

According to Dolby (2016), using storytelling in teaching mathematics is enjoyable and exciting to the children. Storytelling acts as a catalyst by appealing to their imaginations and mood hence meaningful learning. Schiro (2014) argues that when the teacher tells a story, learners create individual fictions which are very significant when connected to the content. A study by Shin (2015) indicates that the minds of young children are preoccupied with imaginations; hence teachers must deliver their contents in the form of images. This study further recommends the use of real-life stories to help create pictures in learner's brain. These stories move the photos into practice.

Levine and Miguens (2020) elaborate on how the Australian Government emphasizes on quality education. Teachers handling very young children have been encouraged to understand the implications of EYLF to their practice. This framework further clarifies the significance of childhood educators in developing young children into successful learners in future. Inventing a variety of techniques in teaching the young ones is a crucial pillar of this initiative as there is hope that teachers will engage in in-depth discussions bearing in mind the values, culture and believes of the people of Australia (Schiro, 2014)

Most teachers frequently narrate stories as an approach to introduce new mathematical concepts. The words may be real or not. This approach is valid in communicating to the learners. However, Schiro (2014) notes that this technique is rather personal since the storyteller can vary the story to the audience, adjust and clarify accordingly. Furthermore, stories spark interest as well as making students relax as they move forward to solving technical stuff.

This discussion entails a critical analysis of two selected books and the mathematical concepts and processes that can be explored from the nominated books. Also, the article relates the images from the books with various theories discussed in class. The selected books are Five Creatures by Emily Jenkins and Infinity and Me by Kate Hosford.

• Five Creatures by Emily Jenkins

Book Overview

The book is composed of heartwarming comparisons, lovely pictures and simple texts which are combined to form different scenes. The book is about a young girl who contemplates the existence of her five-member family. It is all about five creatures living in one house, three human (man, woman and a child) and two cats. Out of the five, three are short, while two are tall. Also, the authors state that there are four grownups and one child. There are three creatures with orange hair and two with grey. In terms of hair, two has long hair while the rest have short. Furthermore, four out of the five creatures like to eat fish, the man, woman and the two cats. Three of the animals like to drink milk. One of the parents is allergic to both milk and coffee. The book further states that the two cats like to eat miles. The child who is telling the story sleeps together with the two cats in one bed. Three creatures don't like taking a bath. The couple, together with the child, can button up button although images show that the man got it wrong. Four out of the five can open cupboards. The couple and the two cats can get up in the stools. One cat can crawl under the refrigerator. The book further identifies the creature who sings in the morning (man) and the one who sing at night. Three of the animals love napping with the newspaper. As the story advances, the author state that two creatures can read while one is learning. The man and his wife, together with the two cats, can climb trees. The next image indicates that all the creatures love birds. However, he notices that each animal has a unique liking toward birds. The kid and the two cats like to hide inboxes. Two creatures want to lick each other while all the creatures kiss each other. Finally, all the animals settle by the fire in the evening when it's cold.

Experiences

To begin with, the author effectively weaves a cognitive analysis into a narrative characterized by warmth. Also, the reader gets a sense of togetherness and unity among the five creatures. The writer explains how the five animals sit together around the end of the story. Findings by Shin (2015) indicate that socio-cultural theories influence the development of a child concerning the community. Children learn through belief and culture around them. In the story, the little girl is seen to love copying what her parents do and is likely to grow up doing the very thing she learnt from the parents.

Discussion

From the book, the author is trying to emphasize the concept of counting. Objectively, the book is useful to kids who are less than two years. The physical approach of counting is a critical tool in teaching a child about numbers (Schiro, 2014). While at home, young children use maths skills daily as they play around. These skills prepare them for school. A study by Bikner-Ahsbahs, Knipping and Presmeg (2016) on the success of the EYLF framework shows that most children developed skills of quantity through estimation. The little girl in the story grows up, knowing that each object can only be counted ones. At the kindergarten level, a child can understand numerical values which can be advanced into logic at a later stage (Walle, Karp and Bay-Williams, 2018).

Young children develop skills of addition and subtraction at an early stage in life. Counting steps as you walk around the compound with your child is an example of informal teaching of maths. Moreover, the author applies the concepts of sorting. In more than one occasion in the book, the author categorizes the creatures in terms of height, the colour of the hair and abilities. This is an essential precursor to sorting by figures.

Levine and Miguens (2020) realized that a child who learns to sort ends up improving his or her ability to recognize objects. This is a significant pillar and objective of EYFL framework. For instance, colouring and shaping. This child further learns to put items into groups; hence in future, the child could be in a position to understand that smaller numbers make up larger ones.

Walle, Karp and Bay-Williams (2018) suggest that a child at the age of below two years experience a lot of exploration and imagination which slows down learning. However, they further propose that the educator should emphasize modelling and doing it together, as this is a critical pillar in the EYFL framework.

Levine and Miguens (2020) found out that children at the age of below two years should be taken at their own pace while they attempt to practice counting. This prevents the risk of developing an early aversion to the subject.

The book has a direct connection with Developmental Theory. This is evident since the storyline shows a specific pattern in teaching skills in the young child. Furthermore, the child will develop in a particular way in future, which indicates that the child will grow in a certain.

Also, the parents are seen trying to teach the child a few skills. This relates to Socio-behavioral theories which believe that knowledge is acquired through interactions and experience (Dolby, 2016).

The book is an excellent and innovative piece of skill for getting little children toward the path of reasoning as it's meant for reading. This indicates that the writer had in mind the three pillars of EYLF. Each spread offers new insight into the dynamics in the family. The book is both enjoyable and useful to both teachers and parents as they use it to instil deductive reasoning to the learners.

2. Infinity and Me by Kate Hosford

Book Overview

The book is about a young girl called Uma who had acquired a pair of new red shoes. She became anxious that she couldn't have asleep. She goes outside the house and starts wondering about the number of stars in the sky. She wonders how big infinity is. The following day in school, she asks her friend about her thoughts concerning infinity. Her friend tells her that forever is a considerable number which keeps growing more significant daily. Later on, she asks again about the meaning of infinity, and the response was terrific. Infinity is like number eight that fell over and took a nap. The next day, she asks her grandmother about the same. Her grandmother smiles and gives her a simple explanation using a family tree. The little girls wonder what she would wish to do forever just like infinity. At lunchtime, she asks her to cook about his understanding of infinity. Not satisfied with the response, she asks her music teacher about the same. Later in the day, the little girl leaves for home, convinced that she would never get a convincing meaning of infinity. In the end, she learns that the love she had for her grandmother is like infinity. At this point, she understands the importance of the word, "infinity".

Experiences from the book

The first experience is that the story has an explicit focus on mathematics. Uma was overwhelmed by the responses and the mental engagements she had in pursuit of getting to know what infinity meant. Her grandmother gives a compliment on her new pair of red shoes. At this point, she understands the meaning of infinity and compares it to the love she had for her grandmother

Secondly, the book gives a philosophical experience. Uma finds that the idea was mind-blogging though she did seem less scared. Even though storytelling is critical in teaching mathematics, Levine and Miguens (2020) realized that children could communicate effectively. Throughout the book, Uma communicates freely with her peers, cook, teacher and the grandmother at home.

Discussion

This book stipulates the theories of learning very clearly. Uma struggles to understand the meaning of the word infinity. The book combines the unique nature of the universe and an aspiring character, as represented the pride she had on her new shoes. This provides the reader with a cheeky and exciting introduction to an important mathematical concept. The sequences in the book indicate that the child is between the ages of three to five years. The little girl wonders how many stars exist up the sky at night. This curiosity makes her learn a lot of new concepts from her friends, teacher, the school cook and the grandmother. Young readers can hear the voices of people explaining to Uma the meaning of infinity and tasks the readers to define it individually.

From experience, it's clear that one cannot learn new ideas unless there is a deep understanding of the concept (Dolby, 2016). Mathematics will introduce a lesson by asking a simple question like what is one plus one? Later in the study, the teacher teaches more complicated problems. In addition to using her memory, the little girl is keen to know the exact meaning of infinity. She makes fair use of asking questions and her search strategy indicate that her pathway to learning is on an upward trajectory.

According to developmental theory, the behaviour at the early stages of a child creates a foundation for future skills and abilities (Bikner-Ahsbahs, Knipping and Presmeg, 2016). The little girl, through her inquisitive nature, demonstrates that she has brighter days ahead as she is ready and willing to learn. EYLF emphasizes on belonging, being and becoming. The music teacher shows a willingness to put into practice the three pillars mentioned above.

A recent study by Schiro (2014) shows that the Australian Government directed that all teachers handling young children should aim to achieve the second goal of Melbourne Declaration of Education which dictates that learners should come out victorious, confident and creative citizens. This declaration further aims at strengthening childhood education at the very earliest stages. The overall objective is to build a thriving workforce and a group of competent and creative citizens.

The socio-behavioural theory is much applied in this book. Uma is motivated to learn since she keeps looking for an effective response because of sequential reinforcements from one respondent to the other. She depicts a child-directed approach to learning. By looking at the sky, her environment influences her to learn something new. Caldwell and Cullingford (2017) believe that socio-behavioural theories are vital in preparing young children for future learning.

According to Caldwell and Cullingford (2017), listening and singing songs that rhyme makes young children develop an interest in mathematics. Dolby (2016), proposes that after telling a story, the teacher should talk about numbers round the young learners to enhance their understanding. Maths games are a useful supplement to storytelling and are supported by various theories or learning. Using calendars and remote control at home can help young children at home in learning how to count.

Conclusion

Storytelling brings meaningful images that are rich and relevant to the learners (Walle, Karp and Bay-Williams, 2018). Furthermore, this technique connects and unites the teacher and the learners. The two books selected above note only serve the purpose of educating the young children, but also make the teachers admire the authors for trying to wrap up the brains of the young ones. According to Walle, Karp and Bay-Williams (2018), telling a story touches the spirit of a person.

During the process, the learners and the teacher are brought together, boundaries are eliminated, and communication becomes open. Teachers need to adopt a variety of teaching methods to enhance understanding of abstract concepts in mathematics. Also, teachers are encouraged to adopt multiple forms of communication while teaching young children. Levine and Miguens (2020) conclude by saying that young children are in a position to improve their standards by listening to stories and solving problems related to the stories. This technique is yet a different pedagogical approach that can help our young children in school to learn mathematics quickly at their level.

Reference

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Babaci-Wilhite, Z. (2019). Promoting language and STEAM as human rights in education: Science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. Singapore: Springer.

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Dolby, K. (2016). Homework help for mums and dads: Help your child succeed. London: Michael O'Mara Books Limited.

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Kids often struggle while handling abstract mathematical concepts in school. Hence teachers have continued to generate ideas to handle such cases. Dionne (2016) recommends applying concrete models together with physical materials before introducing the abstract concepts. However, McGrath (2014) realized that manipulatives in explaining ideas in Mathematics bear little fruits in the long run. In the recent past, scientists have developed a mechanism which many teachers have supplemented with manipulation to help improve children interest and understanding of mathematics.

Ransom (2012) applauds the Australian Government’s commitment to promoting the learning of young children through EYLF, otherwise referred to as the Early Years Learning Framework. This initiative promotes learning by providing a friendly environment to children from birth. The aim is to accommodate all learners putting into consideration the individual differences, needs and ambitions with emphasis on quality.

Caldwell and Cullingford (2017) note that EYFL three pillars, namely, being, belonging and becoming, have been appreciated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).The initiative ensures that every learner is given an equal opportunity to learn. This is reflected in the five major principles of EYLF, namely partnership, equity, respect for diversity, ongoing learning and respect (Horstmeier, 2016). During the implementation of EYFL programs and learning strategies, a child is given the best chance to create a prosperous future individually and for society. Teachers get the best opportunity to ensure the objectives of this initiative are achieved, and every learner is taken care of.

According to Dolby (2016), using storytelling in teaching mathematics is enjoyable and exciting to the children. Storytelling acts as a catalyst by appealing to their imaginations and mood hence meaningful learning. Schiro (2014) argues that when the teacher tells a story, learners create individual fictions which are very significant when connected to the content. A study by Shin (2015) indicates that the minds of young children are preoccupied with imaginations; hence teachers must deliver their contents in the form of images. This study further recommends the use of real-life stories to help create pictures in learner's brain. These stories move the photos into practice.

Levine and Miguens (2020) elaborate on how the Australian Government emphasizes on quality education. Teachers handling very young children have been encouraged to understand the implications of EYLF to their practice. This framework further clarifies the significance of childhood educators in developing young children into successful learners in future. Inventing a variety of techniques in teaching the young ones is a crucial pillar of this initiative as there is hope that teachers will engage in in-depth discussions bearing in mind the values, culture and believes of the people of Australia (Schiro, 2014)

Most teachers frequently narrate stories as an approach to introduce new mathematical concepts. The words may be real or not. This approach is valid in communicating to the learners. However, Schiro (2014) notes that this technique is rather personal since the storyteller can vary the story to the audience, adjust and clarify accordingly. Furthermore, stories spark interest as well as making students relax as they move forward to solving technical stuff.

This discussion entails a critical analysis of two selected books and the mathematical concepts and processes that can be explored from the nominated books. Also, the article relates the images from the books with various theories discussed in class. The selected books are Five Creatures by Emily Jenkins and Infinity and Me by Kate Hosford.

• Five Creatures by Emily Jenkins

Book Overview

The book is composed of heartwarming comparisons, lovely pictures and simple texts which are combined to form different scenes. Read More