How to develop science and mathematical understanding in young children
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How to develop science and mathematical understanding in young children
Introduction
The need for higher proficiency in science and mathematics in early childhood education is a result of a number of factors associated with child development and the environment they grow up in. Recent research has led scientists and educators increasingly recognize children's early learning and thinking abilities, and thus a more challenging and rich learning environment is needed to match that potential. Moreover, as technology and media become commonplace in lives of children, thus there is a need for children's education to match the growing needs and expectations of society, allowing them to apply problem-solving and investigation to explore the natural world and develop mathematical skills. In the paper, the different ways through which young children construct science and mathematics' understandings through investigation and play will be explored along with a discussion on effective strategies and approaches for teachers in the area of mathematics and science to create meaningful learning experiences for children.
Key principles underlying the construction of maths and science understanding
Children’s curiosity drives them to explore and draw their own theories and conclusions from their experiences of the world. However, if not provided a structured education and guidance, they will not be able to use their natural curiosity to develop a more scientific understanding. To construct a scientific understanding in young children requires not just conveying information but engaging them in a sophisticated interplay of concepts, nature of science, scientific reasoning and experiments, in which they are able to apply and connect the fundamental concepts they learn to the real world.
In early education, science and mathematics have to integrate together to develop meaningful learning experiences for children. In early childhood, children benefit from learning stories with anecdotes and practical examples that help them investigate concepts within science, technology and mathematics CITATION Mac15 \l 1033 (MacDonald & Rafferty, 2015). In this regard, a key area for educators is developing spatial awareness among children for wayfinding, orientation and navigation, which is also known to make mathematical concepts easier to learn for children CITATION Kli10 \l 1033 (Klippel, et al., 2010). Among very young children, there is evidence to suggest that children’s understanding and performance in mathematics in early education is highly dependent on their spatial skills developed before formal school entry. These spatial skills involve mental transformation skills that help children predict growth in linear numbers, while improved spatial skills near the age of 5 also correlate with enhanced symbolic calculations and estimations as children reach 8 CITATION Zac15 \l 1033 (Hawes, et al., 2015). Thus, spatial skills have a significant role to play in helping children develop spatial representations of numbers, indicating that mathematics learning is tied to spatial reasoning.
In early education, up till grade 2, children gain experience working with different types of patterns. These include spatial structure patterns related to various geometrical shapes such as squares, triangles, grids and arrays, repeating patterns that involves generating a cyclic structure of patterns, and growing patterns that involve working with sequences of numbers that decrease or increase. Working with such patterns engages children into ‘algebraic thinking' and a generalization of these patterns CITATION Pap11 \l 1033 (Papic, et al., 2011). This involves the child recognize relations within certain geometrical shapes and that a similar structure of patterns in different materials still produces the same result.
According to Piaget, human minds use coherent frameworks, or mental structures or schemas, that develop from problem-solving situations and maturation. These structures were termed schemas. Learning does not involve replacing these schemas but occurs through a refashioning and reworking process within the current structure resulting eventually into a change in these schemas. This ‘reflective abstraction' process was explained by Piaget to arise from a child's reflection when they reconstruct a particular mental structure into another that has a greater abstraction CITATION Jac111 \l 1033 (Brooks, 2011). Furthermore, complex cognition can be fostered through enriched learning environments wherein engaging in inquiry and exploration involves social interaction and working within social norms CITATION Jac111 \l 1033 (Brooks, 2011). Here, the educator creates expectations and guides children to de-centre from their thinking and modify their statements in response to others.
In the case of science, language also plays a significant role in helping young children construct concepts. Vygotsky's theory suggests that conflicts and tensions that can arise from using scientific language and everyday language can promote concept development in children if it accompanies the science-educational practice. The mechanism of communication of thinking itself can be used to foster scientific learning by exposing children to science terms and talk, which in turn, helps them establish patterns within scientific conversations and thus promote scientific thinking within them CITATION Esh05 \l 1033 (Eshach & Fried, 2005). It was also observed by Eshach & Fried (2005) that children can distinguish between an inclusive and a conclusive test for a hypothesis, which indicates that there is an inherent set of skills within children that help them connect evidence to the theory. Therefore, exposing children to a situation wherein they can practice those skills would help foster them.
Furthermore, the way educators construct their probes, comments or questions can determine how children respond to various concepts. Although children can be intrigued by how things such as animals, or water flows work, they can struggle with articulating these concepts and hence require teachers to visually represent these ideas, rephrase them or use manipulatives to aid their communication, while any mistakes can be used or exploited as a learning opportunity CITATION Jun13 \l 1033 (Jung & Conderman, 2013). Hence, an understanding of how children formulate an understanding of these scientific concepts, and the underlying thinking processes involved can guide educators in effective teaching practices.
Effective Teaching Practices which enable Science and Mathematics’ learning
The mathematics and science curriculum in Australia, guided by recent research, now emphasizes a greater emphasis on mathematics and scientific concepts in early education. The Australian National Curriculum now incorporates algebraic thinking into elementary learning in view of the fact that it would foster better algebraic skills in later years CITATION ACA09 \l 1033 (ACARA, 2009). This involves incorporating structures and patterns-based learning to mathematical functions, logic and sets. Along with that, representation and discussion are an important part of the inquiry that is needed to develop scientific reasoning from an early age. According to Worth (2010), the discussion in larger and smaller groups encourages young learners to think about their experiences, reflect on ideas and listen to other's experiences. Representing these ideas through various forms of media involving writing, college or drawing would also help children make close observations, build language structures and vocabulary and reflect over their experiences.
Moreover, the strong link between mathematics and spatial reasoning also suggests that teachers need to focus on activities and interventions that enhance spatial skills and reasoning in children. Some effective interventions in this regard are puzzle play, block building, paper-folding activities, drawing exercises and games such as origami CITATION Zac15 \l 1033 (Hawes, et al., 2015). These easy-to-implement activities involve children making use of spatial skills in various degrees to support, improve, and engage children in spatial visualization and reasoning. Construction involves the decomposition and composition of 3D structures, symmetry, perspective taking and transformations, while puzzle play involves spatial reasoning, mental rotation and compositions CITATION Zac15 \l 1033 (Hawes, et al., 2015). Maps too can be used to create spatial awareness and involve children to establish a correspondence between different objects and elements represented in a map with real-world entities CITATION Kli10 \l 1033 (Klippel, et al., 2010). Similarly, effective scientific inquiry requires that children be encouraged to explore materials, objects and events, and make careful observations about them and raise questions. Moreover, investigations that require them to engage in comparison, classification, sorting or describing patterns is also important. Activities that will involve recording their observations in charts, graphs and words along with generating ideas and explanations about the relationships between patterns while working in a collaborative environment wherein ideas are freely discussed and exchanged can prove to be effective interventions CITATION Kar10 \l 1033 (Worth, 2010).
An effective practice in this regard is intentional mathematics teaching. This involves teaching children the purpose of the mathematics concepts being used or taught, thus, creating a more meaningful learning experience by helping young children know why they are doing it. For this purpose, it is important to connect children's real-life experiences and interests to mathematics instruction to enable them to learn that it is a powerful tool for representing and modelling real-life situations CITATION Jun13 \l 1033 (Jung & Conderman, 2013). To enable children to solve mathematics problems, various mathematics tools and manipulatives such as unifix cubes, counters, pattern blocks can be employed. This would provide tangible objects for children to support reflection, organization and expression related to mathematical ideas CITATION Jun13 \l 1033 (Jung & Conderman, 2013). Math games that involve these tools enable children to try out new techniques and strategies while making use of their current knowledge, without fear of getting wrong answers. Incorrect answers are not seen as mistakes but opportunities for connecting various pieces of knowledge together. These would promote metacognitive skills for organizing and analyzing information when they justify their solutions to problems.
The access to and selection of materials are also important for enabling effective science learning. Materials enable children to manipulate or confront some phenomena under investigation. Materials, therefore, should be transparent and open-ended to help children focus on important aspects of a scientific idea. Moreover, scientific investigations require children to be engaged in it for a considerable period of time, as some children require greater time to become involved. Moreover, science work must not be episodic since that disrupts continuity and, in turn, the opportunity to draw conclusions from those activities CITATION Kar10 \l 1033 (Worth, 2010). Furthermore, science also needs to be documented or discussed and thus requires time, while separate spaces have to be allocated and dedicated to particular activities. This implies to younger children that scientific thinking may need certain things to be changed or set aside.
Examples and Possible Strategies
To create an environment where mathematical ideas are freely communicated while making use of intentional teaching methods discussed by Jung & Conderman, (2013), an effective strategy was outlined by them that helps make efficient use of math manipulatives, visual representations and communication of important concepts. This strategy involves making a ‘triangle family' wherein kindergarten students are asked to select shapes that they think are triangles out of various other sets of shapes. If a student selects a pizza, for instance, and claims that it is a triangle. The teacher can raise an inquisitive question that she heard someone say it is not a triangle, how then is this shape different? This would facilitate a respectful and meaningful discussion over differences and commonalities between different shapes, enable children who picked the wrong shape to understand why it was not a triangle.
Another activity in this regard is the AB pattern activity to help children discern a basic pattern from the environment. This will involve the teacher to sit in an AB pattern; sit, stand, sit, and so on. The children will then be asked to describe the pattern and explain its rule. Each child will be allowed to answer in turns and at the end when some student is unsure, the teacher can explain to them. A similar activity can be repeated by making AB patterns of different shapes such as squares, triangles, and cylinders, asking children to describe these patterns and demonstrate them. The activity can then be enhanced to help them work with an AAB pattern.
Conclusion
To conclude, learning science and mathematics in a way that promotes confidence and enjoyment among children while emphasizing a deep understanding of its content will enable Australia's future citizens to foster important skills to help with later life. Exploring the natural world is a tendency among children when guided correctly, can help them develop ideas and construct an understanding of various phenomena and develop important skills of literacy, science and mathematics within them.
Bibliography
BIBLIOGRAPHY ACARA, 2009. Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics, Barton, ACT: National Curriculum Board Commonwealth of Australia.
Brooks, J. G., 2011. Big science for growing minds: constructivist classrooms for young thinkers. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Eshach, H. & Fried, M. N., 2005. Should Science be Taught in Early Childhood?. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 14(3), pp. 315-336.
Hawes, Z., Tepylo, D. & Moss, J., 2015. Developing spatial thinking: Implications for early mathematics education. In: B. Davis & S. R. S. Group, eds. Spatial reasoning in the early years: Principles, assertions and speculations. New York, NY: Routledge, pp. 29-44.
Jung, M. & Conderman, G., 2013. Childhood Education: Intentional Mathematics Teaching in Early Childhood. Childhood Education, 89(3), pp. 173-177.
Klippel, A., Hirtle, S. & Davies, C., 2010. YouAre-Here Maps:: Creating Spatial Awareness through Map-like Representations. Spatial Cognition & Computation: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 10(2-3), pp. 83-93.
MacDonald, A. & Rafferty, J., 2015. Investigating Mathematics, Science and Technology in Early Childhood. Sydney: Oxford University Press.
Papic, M. M., Mulligan, J. T. & Mitchelmore, M. C., 2011. Assessing the Development of Preschoolers' Mathematical Patterning. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 42(3), pp. 237-269.
Worth, K., 2010. Science in Early Childhood Classrooms: Content and Process. [Online] Available at: http://ecrp.illinois.edu/beyond/seed/worth.html[Accessed 8 April 2019].
