Guardian Caringbah Measures Up!
Developing skills in numeracy is more than simply rote learning numbers. It’s about exploring mathematical concepts in ways that inspire and excite children. At Guardian Early Learning Centre – Caringbah, the children have been undertaking a measurement experience where they’ve been investigating height and scale.
Centre Manager, Hannah Barnett, says “The measurement experience was an extension from our numeracy area which came from children who were doing a lot of colour sorting and identifying colours within the room. Our educators researched these experiences and identified them as mathematical concepts on which we could build our program. This was a combination of spontaneous and intentional teaching where objects were put out as a provocation. Slowly measuring tapes were introduced with the question ‘what do you think we use these for?’ being our starting point.”
One of the experiences involved the children investigating weight and scales. Using resources provided to them from their environment, educators offered a choice of materials for children to weigh. They identified that when the red line moves, it means an object is a certain weight and how far the red line goes indicates if it’s heavier or lighter.
In the measurement experience, educators have been measuring the children’s height to determine how tall they are, and then made a graph so they could visually see the concept of length. Hannah adds, “It’s been important to us to utilise appropriate language during these moments so the children are building upon their existing foundations with new knowledge and concepts.”
From the experience, the children have identified the use of the resources and materials as a measuring tool. They have been using it to measure their peers and environment around them. The children have also developed a strong interest in the topic of colours and shapes within the environment – particularly when creating patterns and shapes with resources. “We can’t wait to build upon this by attempting to measure our shapes!” says Hannah.
Learning numeracy in a hands on way is beneficial as it forms an embedded memory of the experience from which they can draw upon at a later point in time. Hannah notes, “By exploring concepts that are around us in everyday life we also bridge the gap between the world around them and their development. The measuring project in particular is all about weight, size, shapes, dimension, length, and width which are all concepts we use on a day to day basis to measure and respond to our surroundings.”
To see how numeracy and literacy concepts are explored at this fantastic early learning centre in the Shire for yourself, book a tour at Guardian Early Learning – Caringbah today.
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