I dont often get the time to write anything meaningful about the things I do with my Early Years children - so Im taking the opportunity with a quiet evening on my hands, to tell you about an activity I observed one of my 2 year olds engrossed in this morning. We attended a new toddler group this morning. A lovely setting, warm and welcoming. The toddler group had a sensory tray full of conkers, pine cones, pieces of wood and autumn leaves. This was the original appeal to me upon the decision to attend. My 2 year old is a sensory learner, (as well as a physical one) and I knew this would seize his attention. Initially he headed for the physical toys, the ride on cars, the slide, and the seesaws. His curiosity soon got the better of him though as he watched other children exploring the sensory tray. He began by bringing me conkers, collecting one by one into a wooden bowl, handing them to me and then returning them. Here he demonstrated early mathematical skills, in awareness of quantity. He gained in confidence, left my side and approached some weighing scales which contained wooden pieces. Here he pressed down on each side, enjoying the clunking noise it made as the heavy side dropped when he let go. I could almost see the thought process and the realisation that the clunking was caused by the weight of the objects on the other side! He examined the objects and explored the weight, transferring objects from one side to another. He finally balanced both sides equally with 2 pieces of wood and 2 conkers on one side, versus one large lump of wood on the other. He clapped his hands with glee and I praised him. At 2 years old he successfully demonstrated his developing mathematical ideas and methods to solve practical problems, he discovered the difference in quantity whilst comparing his two sets of objects, and learnt the pleasure in achieving his goal. The childs own experiences here are directly linked to mathematical learning. He has been encouraged into discovering something new. A wonderful observation!
Posted on: Mon, 22 Sep 2014 17:39:32 +0000
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