Early Childhood Mathematics Learning: Activities, Environment, and Numeracy Skills

This essay discusses early childhood mathematics learning, including activities, environment, and numeracy skills. It covers the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky, everyday activities that can develop numeracy skills, household items that can create a mathematical rich environment, and the role of songs and play in developing numeracy skills.

Essay EDEC 113

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................2
MAINBODY....................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSI......................................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................4
Books and Journals:................................................................................................................4

INTRODUCTION
Mathematics learning in early childhood refers to the huge area of study as well as practices
which includes learning environment, provision of stimulating functions or activities. It is
orchestrated along with organised by family members, care takers, teachers and professionals
with purpose of providing early childhood experiences that increases their knowledge or growth
of mathematics skills and concepts (Gasteiger & Benz, 2018). There are two theorist Jean
Piagets, Vygotsky who link mathematics with numeracy as they said the kids progress by the
level of cognitive growth through discovery methods, maturation along with social conductions
by accommodations or assimilation. On the other hand, Vygotsky focused on the importance of
environment and home activities which helps the kids to develop numeracy skills (White &
Fleer, 2019).
This project covers understanding of early experience of mathematics learning along with
various kinds of activities, environment and situations which children be exposed to stimulate
early mathematics concept. Further it highlights five house household related object that can be
utilised creating a mathematic rich environment with significance. At last it discusses the role
and significance of songs and play in developing as well as poster in numeracy skills.
MAINBODY
Early childhood mathematics learning includes children of age 3 to 6 years but in various
nations even youngest children goes early childhood play school. These children notice along
with explore mathematical areas of their world as they find pattern, compare quantities, grapple
as well as navigate in space with actual issue. Such as sharing a bowl of crackers, balancing a
huge block building fairly with their playmates. The two theorist which gives different theory on
the child development as one of them are Piaget who believed that the child learn mathematics
and numeracy in their early age or by their surrounding whereas Vygotsky believed that teachers
ask the questions to students in class room and having find out them the correct answer as per
their own understanding (MacDonald & McGrath, 2022). They also get knowledge about spatial
relation such as back or forward as well as over or under. It is a huge variety of basic concepts of
counting numbers, ideas of quantity like such things is fewer or more. It is very important for

children as it can improve their knowledge, skills or memory. Like kids which start their learning
with numerical terms in their early childhood will perform better in maths at their academic life.
In recent times it is best thing to give the opportunity to kids to have better understanding of
mathematical concepts for the brighter future.
Everyday activities such as looking at shapes, counting, recognise the size of things as well
as talking related to different sizes, measurements and so on can allow children to develop their
early maths and numeracy skills. The environment such as counting the birds in sky or at tree as
well as which plant or building is tall or short. There are various other things such as toys with
different shape, various shape of objects in park and other. During the time of lunch or eating
food a parents can develop the numeracy skills among their child like cut the fruits into pieces
and feed them with counting, or ask them how many spoons and cups they used while eating in a
day. By using clock, they can develop their understanding about the time such at 9Pm time for
bed, at 8 am time to wake up or others (Gresham & Burleigh, 2019). It is important for every
child to develop their understanding about basic mathematics concepts in their early age in order
to have clear base for future studies. Piaget said that kids can develop their habits in early age
along with they can also remember things for life long which they learn in their early age. It is
important in recent time to sharpen the mind of children in early age so they can complete their
learning process at school effectively. By this they can also have clear understanding about the
area in which they have interest and want to pursue in their future for higher studies along with
professional career.
The five house hold items which can be creating a mathematical rich environment for early
age children such as kitchen items, fruits, block or shape games, garden creatures, clock, stairs
and many more. For example, they can use fruits in basket, trees in garden or stress, number of
rooms for teaching counting to kids, develop skills in children by compare or describe the shape
of leaves in garden, toys, blocks, kitchen items, number of birds, colour of flowers and many
more. While step down in their house they can use blocks, stairs to define number of series
(Rahayu, Putri & Hartono, 2022). To kids, use clock to measure the time. People can also
involve children in kitchen to help pour, stir, mix and fill items as it will help children to get
easily familiar with various mathematics concepts such as measuring, adding, counting as well as
estimating.

There is another way to increase the experience in early childhood mathematics learning
among children such as songs and play (Bird, & Mok, 2020). Like while playing with kids by
using games like blocks, cards, balls, board games, Puzzle with numbers and shapes like
dominoes or matching pairs (Sinclair, 2018). Read books and sign songs with rhyming,
repeating as well as rhymes number which will allow kids to understand patterns. Vygotsky said
that Kids can easily catch the things while going outside so the people can use play or song while
playing with them in garden such racing with them who come first, second or third, help them to
arrange stones in order from small to large, sing nursery rhymes while dancing with them which
will increase their learning or skills.
CONCLUSION
As the above presented information, it has been concluded that Early experience of
mathematics learning can be understood that children can learn variety of play based experience
which lay the base for their mathematics learning for future education. It includes determining of
multiple shapes like triangle. Square, circle and other. Along with to have an understanding
about measurements such as which is short, less addition to which is taller or big. They can
develop numeracy skills in children by playing games and sing songs in rhyme along with
involving them in various kitchen activities, walking with them in garden and many more.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Bird, J., & Mok, A. (2020). Leading practice in early childhood education. In Strong
Foundations: Evidence informing practice in early childhood education and care. ACER Press.
Gasteiger, H., & Benz, C. (2018). Mathematics education competence of professionals in early
childhood education: a theory-based competence model. In Mathematics education in the early
years (pp. 69-91). Springer, Cham.
Gresham, G., & Burleigh, C. (2019). Exploring early childhood preservice teachers’ mathematics
anxiety and mathematics efficacy beliefs. Teaching Education, 30(2), 217-241.
MacDonald, A., & McGrath, S. (2022). Early childhood educators’ beliefs about mathematics
education for children under three years of age. International Journal of Early Years Education,
1-16.
Rahayu, C., Putri, R. I. I., & Hartono, Y. (2022). Curious mind and early childhood in the
learning of introduce early mathematics using mini games. Journal on Mathematics
Education, 13(2).
Sinclair, N. (2018). Time, immersion and articulation: Digital technology for early childhood
mathematics. In Contemporary research and perspectives on early childhood mathematics
education (pp. 205-221). Springer, Cham.
White, A. D., & Fleer, M. (2019). Early childhood educators’ perceptions of the Australian Early
Years Learning Framework (EYLF): Engaged professional learners. Australasian Journal of
Early Childhood, 44(2), 124-138.