Early Childhood Development -- Curriculum

Early Childhood Development -- Curriculum

Utilizing Active Learning in Math

For many children, mathematics proves one of the hardest subjects to master. Others find it even harder just to pay attention to math. Utilizing an engaging curriculum is one of the best strategies available to help children gain a better grasp on math in school. There are several efficient ways to engage a child's attention in a manner to practice using their math skills. As seen in the Scholastic article "Math Play: How Young Children Approach Math," effective styles of learning include engaging the learner. The strategies of investigating dynamics and exploring spatial relations can be utilized in curriculum to help improve math skills of pre-school students.

These two strategies rely on a physical and mental involvement of the young child within the learning process. By creating lesson plans which allow for students to investigate dynamics, those children are actively and visually learning mathematical concepts. These strategies can even be included in non-mathematical genres; for example a teacher can introduce an art project which actually rests on the fundamentals of exploring and dissecting various shapes and figures. Another important strategy is that of exploring spatial relations. In such activities, children gain a better visual and practical sense of the spatial relations within mathematics. Scholastic's article portrays two girls discussing the appropriate spatial placement of a couch in a dollhouse. Such thinking methods can be influenced utilizing activities asking the children to map their house, their school, or their neighborhood in proportions. This will help open the child's mind to a more organized way of approaching spatial relations.