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Enhancing Kindergarten Mathematics Through Play-based Curricula

Explore the effectiveness of play-based math instruction for kindergartners, examining their play with manipulatives. Research findings, social and mathematical observations of children at play, and implications for teachers are discussed.

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Enhancing Kindergarten Mathematics Through Play-based Curricula

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  1. Examining Kindergartners’ Play with Manipulatives for Instances of Possible Mathematics Instruction Is play-based curricula applicable to today’s content driven kindergarten?

  2. My Experience

  3. Direct Instruction DAP Kindergarten Curriculum Debate VS blend many teaching strategies

  4. Relevant Research • unit blocks enhance math foundation • manipulative instruction more successful • much math in play • especially blocks, Legos, puzzles, constructive & pattern play

  5. Suggestions from Research • teachers should utilize spontaneous math encounters • unfortunately • teachers not involved in children’s play • teachers not aware of informal mathematics • teachers underestimate children’s ability

  6. Research Purpose and Design case study of kindergartner’s play with pattern blocks in order to inform teachers’ practice and administrators’ knowledge

  7. Data Collection and Analysis • Collection • 180 minutes of videotaped observation • 20 minute of stimulus recall interviews • field notes • Analysis • three data sets • inductive and deductive coding • readings, coding, themes, narrative, conclusions

  8. Social Findings • Associative Play • Cooperative Play

  9. Sharing Independent Creations Star Wars robot the club birthday story

  10. Discourse About the Blocks Noah’s frame Ally’s flower Noah’s triangle

  11. Imitation towers yucky sandwiches Carl’s Ally’s Ron’s Carl’s Ron’s

  12. Carl: “I’m making something a little like Noah did last time.” Noah’s Carl’s

  13. Partnerships Ally and May castle arrow

  14. Groups Carl’s Games sorting New Hope Set pushing Triangle Pyramid a Dooma Pooma

  15. Mathematical Findings • Geometry • Dynamics • Symmetry • Spatial Relations • Shape and Color • Algebra • Classification • Pattern • Number

  16. Dynamics Carl: “How bout you put the diamonds in there and take these two and then that could happen?” May: “My triangles are turning into diamonds.”

  17. Line Symmetry May’s funny little guy Carl: “It’s symmetrical. If you cut it in half …”

  18. Rotational Symmetry Noah’s design and star Ally: “A flower. But I can’t find anything to go around it.”

  19. Spatial Relations Noah: “We can’t get the crystal. We all know which one is the crystal. Sometimes it’s the top and sometimes it’s the middle. So we do not know.”

  20. Shape and Color color instead of shape Noah: “I need all the … I need all the tri… I need all the greens.” color Ally: “Look, I made a stop sign. Actually these are the stop lights. Look, I made stop sign, red, yellow, blue.” insist on shape name Ally: It’s a trapezoid. Call it a trapezoid! color and shape May: “I need the orange, orange, squares. Squares please, squares please.” rhombus or diamond? Ron: It’s a diamond kinda, but it broke. It’s a rhombus. I forgot that, but it’s a rhombus.

  21. Classification Group Sorting Carl: “I get the yellows and the green.” Ally: “I get, I get the…” May: “I get, I get, I get these two.” Ron’s sorted stacks May & Ally’s Hexagon Flowers

  22. Pattern Ally & May’s ordered stacks May’s caterpillar Ron: “It’s called a sandwich pattern.” “It was just going bread, pepperoni, bread, pepperoni. “ May: “Mine just goes up and up and up. Design up! Cool design, right? It goes yellow, orange, red, green.

  23. Number Description Ally: “Look Mrs. A., I used orange pieces, blues pieces, red pieces, and yellow pieces… One yellow piece.” Game Play Carl: “It’s called one triangle in a row.” “You have to try to get to 100.” “It’s time for a second level, This is the second one.” “Now you have twenty-hundred lives.” Counting Ron: “Everybody concentrate, concentrate, concentrate. May, concentrate. 1 concentrate. Concentrate. It’s counting. So count, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.”

  24. Implications for Instruction • Access to Materials • set-up the environment • allow extended time to play • math aspects increase in intensity over time • use more than one material • Opportunities for Socialization • children seek out socialization • powerful math discourse and scaffolding • planful grouping by interest and ability

  25. Implications for Instruction • Teacher Support • offering answers and clarification • asking questions • posing challenges

  26. Limitations & Significance • researcher contrived setting • short time frame • only one material • contribution to the research base • children’s natural math encounters • everyday experiences with math • acceptance for teacher-supported play

  27. Future Research • identify the naturally occurring mathematics of young children • document the use of these mathematical occurrences as an instructional tool

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