Matthew Oldridge writes about a Playful Approach to Math in a post on Edutopia.org. He states that “play moves math instruction beyond rote memorization to a more expansive understanding of mathematics. Encourage students to talk, think, reason, and wonder as they move through problems. Creating a sense of curiosity, even for simple concepts, engages students in a playful way”.
He adds that “play creates open spaces for thinking where teachers can guide students to engage with big and interesting ideas of mathematics”.
He also comments on physical resources like snap cubes, pattern blocks which are tools that can help students bring mathematics into being—a process called representation.
Playful Approach to Math in Kindergarten
My students have varying degrees of comfort and competence with numeracy skills. This difference calls for differentiation in the tasks they engage with. Using a playful approach allows me to offer learning experiences that support and scaffold each learner.
Here are a few playful approach to math photos from our year in Kindergarten.
How do you incorporate numeracy into your day?
Happy Learning,
Lynda
