University Math Folio: Mathematical Experience for Children Report

This folio report explores the significance of mathematics in children's lives, spanning from early childhood to primary school. It delves into the real-world applications of math, emphasizing the importance of numeracy and its distinction from mathematics as a broader discipline. The report examines various aspects, including planned play in early childhood, math in daily life, and effective communication strategies in primary school classrooms. It also highlights the role of the learning environment in stimulating children's mathematical development, providing evidence, rationale, and practical applications for each stage. The report draws on various resources to illustrate effective teaching and learning processes, emphasizing the integration of math into everyday activities and the use of different communication modalities to enhance understanding and engagement. The report also explores the use of different communication modalities in the classroom to enhance children's understanding of mathematics, and how the learning environment can stimulate the learning process of children.

Running head: FOLIO
Mathematical Experience for Children
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

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Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Mathematics in Real World.............................................................................................................5
Evidence...................................................................................................................................5
Rationale...................................................................................................................................6
Application...............................................................................................................................6
Mathematics and Early Childhood..................................................................................................7
Planned Play.................................................................................................................................7
Evidence...................................................................................................................................7
Rationale...................................................................................................................................8
Application...............................................................................................................................8
Math in Daily Life........................................................................................................................9
Evidence...................................................................................................................................9
Rational..................................................................................................................................10
Application.............................................................................................................................10
Mathematics and Primary school...................................................................................................11
Evidence.................................................................................................................................11
Rationale.................................................................................................................................12
Application.............................................................................................................................12

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Mathematics and the Learning Environment.................................................................................13
Evidence.................................................................................................................................13
Rationale.................................................................................................................................14
Application.............................................................................................................................14
New Modalities and Mathematics.................................................................................................15
Evidence.................................................................................................................................15
Rationale.................................................................................................................................16
Application.............................................................................................................................16
References......................................................................................................................................17

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Introduction
The focus of the study is to describe the importance of math throughout life and the
process of learning from early childhood to later part of life. The resources are use to identify the
process of learning and teaching where the environment is considered an important part. The real
world application of math is also highlight in the folio.
Mathematics is a discipline included in science that deals with quantity, arrangement and
the logic of shapes. It is applicable to everything that is around us in everyday life, from
calculation to the geographic shapes around us that can be study by mathematics. Mathematics
makes it easier for a person to understand and evaluate the concepts such as velocity, speed,
light, heat, valences and much more (Siemon et al., 2015). On the other hand, numeracy refers to
the ability to use mathematical skills in our everyday life. By referring one person as numerate
means that they have confidence and skills for using the numbers and mathematical approach in
their everyday life that has nothing to do with their professional expertise. It means that the
person is able to reason with mathematical concepts, use these concepts in a range of contexts,
and solve a variety of problems. Numeracy seems to reflect the way in which children approach
their mathematics, valuing the confidence in and understanding of mathematics (Ares & Evans,
2014).
These two can be distinguish from one another on various grounds. Numeracy and
mathematics are overlapping, but are to separate concept. Mathematics is a much broader
concept than numeracy. Numeracy uses mathematics in some of the contexts to deal with
situations. Hence, it can be point out that mathematics is a scientific discipline whereas
numeracy is merely the application of the knowledge of mathematics in the field. An example

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can be draw from traditional classroom mathematics where it is the understanding of calculus,
quadratic equations, statistical analysis and much more. Example of numeracy can be like
analyzing data to spot trends and anomalies using the mathematical skills (Cooke, 2017).
Similarities between mathematics and numeracy is that the mathematics is the rule and
numeracy are the application of that rule in the real world context. Both deals with the numbers
quantities and shapes and relate to an understanding of basic skills such as addition, division,
subtraction, and multiplication. Example of the similarity can be draw from the classroom.
Arithmetic is a segment where mathematics and numeracy overlap due to their similarities.
Mathematics in Real World
Evidence
http://www.arvindguptatoys.com/arvindgupta/childrensmaths.pdf

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This resource highlights various learning and teaching process mathematics to the
children. Several cases are clubbed up a portion of the resource where the application of
mathematics by the children in the real world. The case of the zoo visit is taken as the case of
children’s interaction with the real world in the mathematical field is mentioned in the folio.
Rationale
The case is based on a zoo visit of 4-5-year-olds led by a group of adults. This was a
great opportunity to test their mathematical knowledge. This enabled them to verify the data
handling skills of the children in the real world scenario. Moreover, they had the opportunity to
test their limitations of imagination and application of it on the strategies they choose to select in
recording the data. They were provided full freedom to select any strategy they could think of to
record the given data. This test shows clear potential in increasing the mathematical and
numeracy thinking of the children, as they had to use their thinking to perform the task in a
greater pressure than the classroom environment.
Application
The case mentions here shows the application of math in a real-world scenario. They
asked the children to think of three to four of their favourite animals they saw in the zoo and
record it. Furthermore, they were asked to record their friends' favourites and count the animals
that are loved by the most. This is a simple data handling case potential to understand the
children's potential in implementation of their skills in the real world settings, where every child
showed different approach in the process of fulfillment of their tasks. Some formulated the
layout of all the animals and left space for marking the number of children that love the
particular animal. As this task was provided to the children and the method of recording data
was not provided to them, the task what they did shows great sense. This can be used in the

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different scenario has the potential to test the skills of the children and the imagination to relate
their classroom mathematics in the real case scenario. This will provide support in future data
handling (Carruthers & Worthington, 2006; Reys et al., 2014).
Mathematics and Early Childhood
Planned Play
Evidence
http://www.early-years.org/parents/docs/maths-through-play.pdf

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This resource demonstrates the play approach of learning mathematics in the early
childhood stage. As the children in their early stage better learn through play, it is important to
understand the importance of the play approach of learning mathematics. The resource also
identifies how the adults implement the mathematical learning in the children's playing without
manipulating or controlling their play activity.
Rationale
The play is an important approach to teach math to the children. They are continuously
learning the discipline through play. Scholars find it an effective vehicle to embed the
mathematical concepts in their mind and to develop a positive attitude toward the discipline. The
pre-school teachers seek various approaches to combine mathematics in children's playing
activity to grow interested and record and analyze children's response. Sand and water as the
example cited shows its potential in developing and monitoring the mathematical skills of the
children. This way, children learn much faster and develop skills to recognize and remember the
learning.
Application
Implementation of mathematics in sand and water play can prove to be a useful tool to
teach the children mathematics. It is proved best in making them identify and relate the shapes in

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the real world. It could also be implement to develop the idea of weight. They can feel the weight
an express in some simple expressions such as heavy, light, empty, full or even big and light.
The idea of conservation could also be develop by asking them how much it can hold or sustain.
Different shaped boxes and material could be provide to them for comparison the factors
mentioned. Shapes and pattern as mentioned earlier are the best implication of sand and water
play where they can make any shapes by their imagination and relate them with mathematics.
Adults know the differences between wet and dry sand regarding the weight factor. It can be a
useful tool to understand the thinking of the children and the limitations of their imaginations
(Harms, Clifford & Cryer, 2014).
Math in Daily Life
Evidence
http://www.ddsb.ca/school/senecatrail/Documents/Math%20in%20Everyday%20Life.pdf

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Rational
Math can be seen in everyday life not only for children but for adults also. The resource
sees math in this approach and further discusses activities that can increase the mathematical
understanding of the children by involving them in daily life activities. This has a potential
impact on brushing up their knowledge and develops the understanding of math. It also enables
them to relate their school knowledge with the life, which makes it more enjoyable for them.
Application
Various activities mentioned in the resource can help the children to improve their
understanding of math and make math enjoyable for them. This will increase their interest to
learn more. Several activities can be used in accordance with the age group of the children
allowing them to show better potential. For the children up to grade three can be indulged in
sorting the vegetable and counting them, decorating the cake whit varieties of berries, sorting
colour candles, or even storing the leftover in the container where they have to use their
imagination of number and size. Activities for grades four to six could be send to the market for
purchasing small household items where they have to calculate the money to pay for the item and
checking the cash returned to the vendor. The concept of weight will also develop in the process,
as they have to carry the item back to home. The children in grade 7 and 8 could be given the
task of comparison, which can prove to be useful in differentiating. If the product available for
something in a store is, lower or higher than the next store. This way they can develop an idea
for both differentiating and measuring (Harms, Clifford & Cryer, 2014).

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Mathematics and Primary school
Evidence
http://www.ncca.ie/en/Publications/Reports/NCCA_Research_Report_18.pdf
This resource proposes various aspects of the mathematical process that are included in
primary schools all over the country and overseas. Some of the important ways of learning
mathematics in classroom settings are reasoning, argumentation, generalizing, justifying,
connecting, problem-solving and representing that are described in the resource. The initial and
most effective way of learning can be communicating to develop mathematics in primary school
children.

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Rationale
Communication is considered as the soul of mathematics where many scholars described
it from the multi-literacy perspective. This approach of teaching and learning enables the
students to participate and interact with the issue put forward to them. Learning becomes more
interesting than just replying yes or no to the provided questions and the students’ intellectual
capabilities come forth. It allows the teacher to understand the students’ interpretation and
construction of idea related to the topic taught to them as they take part in the activity for solving
the problem, hence reflecting their understanding regarding the subject matter. Communicative
teaching and learning process can be considered as a beneficial process for the children in
primary school. On the limitation part, the teacher must have an idea to conduct the approach
properly to extract benefit out of it. Improper application can have a negative effect on the minds
of the little children.
Application
There are various ways of communicating mathematics in the primary school classroom
settings. Some of the applicable processes are mentioned below:
Visual communication – It is considered as the best way of learning as it has more impact on the
learning process than reading or listening. Various photographs, constructions, or even 2-D
displays through projector can be used in teaching mathematics in the classroom to make it
interesting.
Digital Communication – technology such as auto collage and Glogster can be used for display.
Oral communication – Class discussion, play, dramatic performances, small group work and
much more can be used in the oral process in teaching mathematics.