Young Children - May 2008 - (Page 14) teachers may hope they will learn numeral recognition and one-to-one correspondence. Early childhood specialists have cited numbers, spatial reasoning, patterning, logical relations, measurement, and early algebra as key components of young children’s mathematical growth (for example, Greenes 1999; NCTM 2000). However, most 4-year-olds are not ready to grasp the complex concepts involved in dates (Etheridge & King 2005). A poster with illustrations or photos of the day’s activities in sequence can be helpful for all young children. Math concepts Learning experiences that center on mathematical concepts should not only be enjoyable and meaningful but also direct children’s thinking toward, and focus it on, important mathematical ideas (Trafton, Reys, & Wasman 2001). Giving preschool children opportunities to explore and experiment individually with math concepts, using concrete materials with a responsive adult to question and guide learning, is likely to be more meaningful and beneficial than having young children participate in a whole group discussion of such concepts centered on the calendar. For example, a teacher can help children notice patterns in the environment and in their work and explain the process of patterning both at circle time and individually. A teacher might join a child who is stringing beads and say, “I think I will make a pattern with my beads. My pattern is blue, yellow, red; blue, yellow, red. What kind of pattern can you make with your beads?” These approaches can help children build their own patterning abilities. is not the most useful format for teaching them. For example, it is difficult for teachers to individualize instruction to meet the diverse needs of young learners during a large group activity such as calendar time. Better alternatives at group time If focusing on the calendar is not an appropriate way to introduce young children to time concepts, numeracy, and the other concepts mentioned above, then what are some better ways? The following evidence-based practices are likely to be more effective than calendar activities in presenting time concepts to young children. Picture schedules Although young children have difficulty judging the length of time between events (for example, how long the time between snack and outside play will be), they can understand a sequence of events (for example, snack comes after circle time). Young children generally have a strong sense of narrative and the way a story progresses. Pictures illustrating the schedule of class activities are often recommended for children with particular disabilities. Similarly, a poster with illustrations or photos of the day’s activities in sequence can be helpful for all young children. Other knowledge and skills Many teachers use calendar time to teach skills unrelated to math, such as colors, letters, emergent writing, and social skills. While each of these concepts and skills is important for young children to learn, the calendar routine Classroom journal Using a digital camera, the teacher can take frequent photographs of classroom events, projects, or field trips, then invite the children to help select photos for a classroom journal. Attach the photos to a dated page (one photo per page or multiple photos on a page) or tuck them into a plastic sleeve. Post or display them in a designated place—on a wall or bulletin board or in a binder—to clearly reflect the sequence of activities: “On Tuesday, we went to the park, we made pancakes, and we read Pancakes, Pancakes! by Eric Carle.” As the children add new pictures © Elisabeth Nichols 14 Young Children • May 2008
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.