Maths in the Early Years: Teaching Sorting, Classification, and Patterning Concepts

This study discusses the importance of teaching sorting, classification, and patterning concepts in Maths for early years. It emphasizes the significance of mathematical content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge to effectively teach these concepts. The study provides practical ways of teaching these concepts to students of foundation year.

Education Specifically
Maths in the Early Years

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
Mathematical content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge to teach concepts in
early number and algebra.............................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
Math is an important subject and part of learning for children in the early years as it provides
vital life skills. This study is going to discuss main 2 effective concepts that need to be learn by
students for understanding about the world such as: sorting and classification and patterning.
MAIN BODY
Mathematical content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge to teach concepts in early
number and algebra
Concept 1: Sorting and classification
Before discussing specific content knowledge, it is important to understand basic concept of
sorting and classification. In regard to classification and sorting, it can be said that it is a
fundamental pre number learning concept that students learn about the world around them. In
addition, it can be said that this concept in mathematic is all about finding things that are the
same, alike and on the basis of same characteristics, grouping them.
Mathematical content knowledge: It is all about a knowledge of teachers that helps
them out in engaging students in learning materials or teaching tasks. The way, teachers
represent mathematical ideas to students is known as mathematical content knowledge. The way
of teaching plays a vital role as understanding of students rely on this (Appova and Taylor,
2019). There are number of tutors and among them some tutors have very great ways of teaching
and students are more likely to understand the main concept and are more likely to solve all
problems. In regard to this sorting and classification concept, some common ways of teaching or
MCK that can make students able in learning about this include: practical way or using mystery
box.
Mystery box contains different sizes and shapes of products or different classification of
objects. By discussing similarities and differences on the basis of size and shapes, students can
be made aware about this concept. Giving practical examples in increasing understanding in
mathematic is one of the best ways increasing knowledge about sorting and classification.

Figure 1: Loose parts classification
Along with mystery box, some loose items can also be used for making students
understand about sorting and classification. By having different loose items each with 10 pieces,
students can be asked to classify them as per their similarity with others. This concept can be
taught on the basis of different colours of items, different sizes, characteristics like same colour
of animals and others (Küçükbay and Sürücü, 2019).
Pedagogical content knowledge: It is all about aligning or making a relationship
between the content of instructions with the capacity of learners to understand that main concept.
For increasing knowledge among students of foundation year as per the pedagogical, tutors need
to make sure as whether students know the meaning of words: fewer, same as, smaller than,
larger than and others. Understanding of these words can help them out in understanding all
about classification. By knowing capacity of learners and in this regard it can be said that
students of foundation years have understanding about these words (Torbeyns, Verbruggen and
Depaepe, 2020). They should allow to sort objects on the basis of colour or they should ask to
sort objects that are same in colours. So, by using these words like same as, different than, larger
than, students can be understood about this concept. By collecting different sizes of objects and
by asking students as to sort and classify them on the basis of their differences and similarities as
per the capacity of learners, they should be taught and it can help them out in understanding
about the world and solving complex math problems in the future.
Concept 2: Patterning

Patterning is other effective concept that also helps out students in understanding changes and all
those things that happens over time. By understanding this concept, students can make
predictions and it can increase their reasoning skills.
Mathematical content knowledge: Teachers’ knowledge can be measured if they have
knowledge about different patterns, order pf figures, repetition of patterns or numbers or figures
and others. By having understanding about all these things, tutors can teach this patterning
concept in an effective manner. The best and effective ways of teaching this concept is: By
making use of different numbers of cube, teachers can increase knowledge among students of
foundation year about patterns (Norton, 2019). Other ways are: Apple, banana, apple and again
using apple, banana, apple. It can help out students in learning the pattern ABA. Number of
objects can be used such as: leaves, socks, blocks, coins, toy cars and others.
Pedagogical content knowledge: Practicing everyday can help out teachers in increasing
capacity in students about learning different concepts of mathematical. Practice is the main key
of understanding basic concepts in math. By knowing the capacity of students about this concept,
different ways of teaching can be used. By using same shapes of objects with different colour
and by arranging them in specific pattern such as: red, green, yellow, learners can be made
understand about this. For teaching this concept, teachers need to make sure that students have
knowledge about different colours and shapes as well.
For teaching both of these patterns, teachers can discuss other concept as there are number
of concepts that are interrelated with each other’s and by understanding one concept in detail,
Students may find easier in understanding different concept with effectiveness (Schmid, M.,
Brianza and Petko, 2021). By teaching sorting and classification as well as patterning, teachers
can teach counting concept as well. Along with teaching patterns on the basis of colours,
teachers can ask students to count them and identify as after how many counting they need to use
the same pattern. These both concepts can make students able in learning about comparison as
well as one to one correspondence concept in mathematic.
CONCLUSION
It has been summarised from the above study that having mathematical content knowledge
among tutors is important for increasing knowledge among students about effective math

concepts. It has discussed importance and ways of teaching classification and sorting as well as
patterning concepts to learners of foundation year.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Appova, A. and Taylor, C.E., 2019. Expert mathematics teacher educators’ purposes and
practices for providing prospective teachers with opportunities to develop pedagogical
content knowledge in content courses. Journal of Mathematics Teacher
Education. 22(2). pp.179-204.
Küçükbay, F. and Sürücü, E., 2019. Corporate sustainability performance measurement based on
a new multicriteria sorting method. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental
Management. 26(3). pp.664-680.
Torbeyns, J., Verbruggen, S. and Depaepe, F., 2020. Pedagogical content knowledge in
preservice preschool teachers and its association with opportunities to learn during
teacher training. ZDM. 52(2). pp.269-280.
Norton, S., 2019. The relationship between mathematical content knowledge and mathematical
pedagogical content knowledge of prospective primary teachers. Journal of
Mathematics Teacher Education. 22(5). pp.489-514.
Schmid, M., Brianza, E. and Petko, D., 2021. Self-reported technological pedagogical content
knowledge (TPACK) of pre-service teachers in relation to digital technology use in
lesson plans. Computers in Human Behavior. 115. p.106586.
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