Early Childhood Numeracy: Observations and Math Activity Plan

Observation 1: Bean Bag Target Game

Date: 2024-05-24  |  Observer: [Student]  |  Start Time: 0:01  |  End Time: 5:50  |  Setting: Outdoor area  |  Children: Matilda, Sophie, Ben, Romina (pseudonyms)  |  Activity: Throwing bean bags at numbered targets

(0:04–0:10) The educator instructs a child on how to throw a bean bag at a target: "Point your hand at the target, bring your arm back and step through as you throw." The child hits the target.

(0:15–0:43) The educator introduces a scoring system with numbered targets. They explain that each target has a different point value (e.g., "How many points do you get for this one?"). The points increase as the targets get "higher" (more difficult). The highest score is "six," and children must hit the targets in sequence — they cannot move to "six" until they get "five."

(0:55–1:27) Matilda writes her name, and Sophie is assigned to be the "scorer" to record Matilda's scores. Matilda throws the bean bags.

(1:45–1:50) Matilda scores one point.

(2:19–2:41) Ben takes his turn, writes his name, and Romina becomes the scorer.

(3:13–3:18) Ben scores, and the educator prompts Romina to record the score.

(3:44–3:51) Romina confirms Ben's score is "two," and the educator records it.

(4:00–4:05) The educator asks how many points the next target is worth, and Ben correctly answers "three."

(4:20–4:25) Ben scores three points.

(4:36–5:02) Ben successfully scores five points, and Romina records it.

(5:05–5:31) Romina writes her name and takes her turn to throw, with another child scoring.

(5:39–5:50) Romina throws at the "number one target."

The activity integrates several mathematical concepts. First is number recognition, where children identify and associate numbers with targets and scores. Second is number sequencing, as the game requires children to follow a numerical sequence (1, 2, 3, etc.) to reinforce their understanding of ordinality. Third is one-to-one correspondence, as scoring involves a direct match between the bean bag hitting the target and assigning a specific point value. Fourth is data recording, as children are introduced to the basic concept of recording scores — a foundational skill for data representation. Finally, mathematical language is woven throughout, with the educator using terms like "how many points," "higher," and number names during the activity.

Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners. Children are actively involved in the game, demonstrating engagement and a willingness to try.

Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators. Children communicate scores and follow instructions, using mathematical language throughout the activity.

Preschoolers are typically developing an understanding of number recognition and counting. This activity supports these milestones by providing a playful context for number practice.

Piaget's theory of cognitive development suggests that children learn through active engagement with their environment (Waite-Stupiansky, 2022). The physical activity of throwing and the cognitive activity of scoring work together to support children's learning.

Vygotsky's sociocultural theory is reflected in the social interaction and collaboration visible as children take turns and score for each other (Henderson & Cunningham, 2023). The educator's guidance also exemplifies instructional scaffolding, providing targeted support to help children move beyond their current level of independent performance.

1. Introduce simple addition by combining scores from multiple rounds. For example: "You got 2 points in the first round and 3 points in the second round. How many points do you have in total?"

2. Create a graph or chart to visually represent the scores. This can help children develop data representation skills and compare results across players.

Observation 2: Dramatic Boat Play

Date: 2024-05-24  |  Observer: [Student]  |  Start Time: 0:03  |  End Time: 5:38  |  Setting: Dramatic play area (boat/fishing scenario)  |  Children: Jai, Marcus, Lachlan, and others (preschool age)  |  Activity: Role-playing a boat trip and fishing

(0:05–0:22) Jai interacts with a "customer," engaging in a role-play scenario. The customer requests a "ticket" to go on a boat and fish. Jai establishes that the ticket is "free today."

(0:45–1:00) The children discuss the "destination" of the boat trip. They identify "New York" and "New York City" as the destination, demonstrating awareness of place names.

(1:00–1:27) The children focus on determining the departure time. There is a need for a "texter" (marker) to fill in the time on a "clock face." Marcus is asked to draw the time, which is "20 past 12."

(2:41–2:55) Marcus announces the departure time as "20 past 12" and informs everyone to board the boat.

(3:16–3:24) The children discuss the "speed" of the boat, establishing a limit of "seven knots." This introduces the concept of measurement and limits.

(3:39–3:56) The speed changes, and the children compare the new speed ("eight knots") to the previous speed ("seven knots"), demonstrating an understanding of "more than."

(4:25–5:12) The children discuss the duration of the trip, estimating travel time in "hours." The estimated time changes from "two hours" to "four hours," then to "six hours," before finally settling on "one hour." This showcases their developing understanding of time and estimation.

(5:15–5:38) The children talk about what they will do when they arrive — specifically, "fish." This involves a discussion about fish and bait, with Jai mentioning that the fish might "eat" the bait.

The children explore several mathematical and numeracy-related concepts through their dramatic play. First is time: they engage with the concept of time by determining the departure time, reading a clock to some extent, and estimating the duration of the trip. Second is number sense: they use numbers in the context of time (12, 20) and speed (seven, eight) and engage in estimation. Third is measurement: they discuss the speed of the boat in "knots," which is a unit of measurement. Fourth is spatial awareness: they implicitly refer to spatial concepts such as destination and travel. Fifth is problem-solving: they collaboratively work to determine the departure time, negotiating and revising their estimates.

Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners. The children actively participate in the role-play, demonstrating curiosity and sustained engagement.

Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators. They communicate effectively with each other, using mathematical language and negotiating the details of the scenario.

Preschoolers are beginning to understand basic time concepts and use related vocabulary. They are also developing their number sense and problem-solving skills through play. This video aligns with those milestones.

Vygotsky's sociocultural theory is evident in the children's collaborative play and language use (Zhou, 2024). They learn from each other as they negotiate roles and work through the details of the scenario.

Piaget's theory highlights the importance of symbolic play in cognitive development (Veraksa et al., 2022). The children use the boat and fishing scenario to represent real-life situations and explore related mathematical concepts.

1. Provide the children with real clocks and timers to explore time in a more concrete way. Engage them in activities with time limits (e.g., "Let's build a tower in 5 minutes!").

2. Extend the boat play by incorporating maps and directional language. Introduce simple map-reading skills and discuss concepts such as distance and direction.

Mathematical Experience Plan

Observation Used: Observation 1 (bean bag target game)

This experience extends the bean bag target game observed in the video to further support preschool children's numeracy development. It will involve four components: target creation, in which children participate in making their own numbered targets; gameplay, in which children play a modified version of the bean bag toss game; score recording, in which children record their scores using different methods; and data representation, in which the group creates a simple graph to represent their scores.

This experience is designed to build upon children's emergent numeracy skills, with a focus on number recognition, number sequence, one-to-one correspondence, data recording, and representation.

Number Recognition and Sequence: Creating their own targets allows children to actively engage with number formation and reinforce recognition of numerals. The sequential nature of the game — moving from lower to higher numbers — helps children understand number order. Research indicates that early mathematical knowledge, including number sense, is a strong predictor of later academic achievement (Ten Braak et al., 2022).

One-to-One Correspondence: Children will match the number of the target with the points awarded, strengthening their understanding of one-to-one correspondence. "One-to-one correspondence involves matching each object in one set with exactly one object in another set" (NSW Department of Education, n.d.).

Data Recording and Representation: Recording scores in different ways — tallies, drawings, numerals — introduces children to basic data recording. Creating a graph helps children visualize and compare scores, laying the foundation for data analysis. According to the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), "children develop an understanding of measurement and number through comparing, sorting, matching, and counting objects and representing findings."

References

Henderson, R. W., & Cunningham, L. (2023). Creating interactive sociocultural environments for self-regulated learning. In Self-regulation of learning and performance (pp. 255–281). Routledge.

NSW Department of Education. (n.d.). One-to-one correspondence. Retrieved from NSW Department of Education.

Ten Braak, D., Lenes, R., Purpura, D. J., Schmitt, S. A., & Størksen, I. (2022). Why do early mathematics skills predict later mathematics and reading achievement? The role of executive function. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 214, 105306.

Veraksa, N., Colliver, Y., & Sukhikh, V. (2022). Piaget and Vygotsky's play theories: The profile of twenty-first-century evidence. In Piaget and Vygotsky in XXI century: Discourse in early childhood education (pp. 165–190). Springer International Publishing.

Waite-Stupiansky, S. (2022). Jean Piaget's constructivist theory of learning. In Theories of early childhood education (pp. 3–18). Routledge.

Zhou, X. (2024). Sociocultural theory in early childhood education. Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media, 51, 190–196.