This post will shift gears from early literacy to math. We will still be discussing the cognitive development domain. We will cover the component - Numbers and Operations with its learning expectations and performance indicators. Then we will start the discussion of the component - Patterns and Algebra. Remember I am taking my information from the Tennessee Early Learning Developmental Standards (TN-ELDS).
We will begin with the component - Numbers and Operations. The learning expectation for this one is: Begins to identify and label objects using numbers. The first performance indicator is: Counts a collection of 1-4 items and begins to understand that the last counting word tells how many. I will say I have had children 2 years old conquer this performance indicator and I have had 4 year olds struggle. If a child has had number concepts modeled during their second year, they will conquer this one easily. If a child has not had any academic exposure before 3 years old, then this will be more of a challenge unless the child has a strong aptitude for numbers. Some children naturally pick up math concepts and some do not. This is where a child's personal learning style and preferences will truly start to show. I will say that most children that get academic instruction and modeling of counting during their third year will conquer this one by their fourth birthday. Some will conquer 1-3 but struggle with 4. Many parents actually model this one in the home. Counting with children seems to come more naturally than reading to children. However, there will always be some parents that do neither. The children that come from the "neither" parents are the ones that will require more instruction than the rest.
The next performance indicator for this learning expectation is: Can quickly "see" and label a group of objects of one to three with a number. This one very much depends on the amount of number concept instruction a child has had in his/her second year. A 3 year old starting from scratch academically will not conquer this one without intense academic instruction in their third year. This one goes beyond just counting to being able to take in a group of objects on sight and determine number. That takes experience and many 3 year olds do not have adequate experience with numbers to be able to conquer this one up to 3 objects. Children must conquer the previous performance indicator before they will conquer this one. It takes quite a bit of practice with counting to be able to determine number by sight.
The next performance indicator for this learning expectation is: Begins to make use of one-to-one correspondence in counting objects and matching groups of objects. To be honest I have never really seen a child naturally use one-to-one correspondence to determine a number of objects. In case you do not know what I mean by that, it is where a child places objects one to one on a known set of objects to determine how many. Most children simply count. However, it takes a knowledge of one-to-one correspondence to count correctly. A child must understand to point at one object and say one number. Some children struggle horribly with that concept. Other children seem to understand it without instruction. It all depends on the child's natural aptitude for math. Some children can do it with 3 or less objects but not when the number of objects is higher than that. I have also never seen a child naturally compare groups of objects with one-to-one correspondence. This is where they place one object from one group next to one object from another group to see which group has more. Children are usually taught to compare in this way. The most natural way children use one-to-one correspondence is during daily routines such as passing out napkins and silverware for meals or snacks or in play where they are providing the same corresponding object for each member of a group. Again some children pick this up with no problems and some children do not get this concept at all. Aptitude for math seems to have more bearing on this than age. For those children with little aptitude for math, this concept must be taught directly. If you wait until they pick it up naturally, you may be waiting for a very long time.
Now we will move on to the next component - Patterns and Algebra. We will cover the first learning expectation: Explores and begins to sort and classify objects. Its performance indicator is: Begins to sort objects on the basis on one dimension, color, size, shape. It frustrates me to no end how many childhood experts expect us to believe that all children naturally do things like this. The reality of the situation is that many children do not do this naturally. If left to their own devices, these children would never sort things on purpose. They like randomness and are not remotely interested in bringing order to the chaos. These children are not naturally drawn to patterns or puzzles, and most of them do not have a natural aptitude for math concepts. For those children, you will have to directly teach putting objects in groups. You, the adult, will have to expose them to the possibility that objects can be grouped different ways and expect them to struggle with it. This will be something that may take them lots and lots of practice to perfect. Math is not everyone's forte.
I hope you have enjoyed this post. Goodbye and God bless!!
Check out Natalie's children's books at: https://www.amazon.com/author/nataliewade7457
No comments:
Post a Comment