2.5 Teaching of mathematics in Grade R class
2.5.3 Teaching strategies for the teaching of mathematics
Teachers are advised that when selecting teaching strategies, they must consider learners’
differences such as their developmental stages, interests, abilities and background (Shulman, 1987; Varol & Farran, 2006). Teachers should also use mathematical language throughout the
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day and incorporate it within the learners’ daily routine (Seo & Ginsburg, 2004). ISSA (2010) adds that teachers should use teaching strategies that promote learning which reflects freedom of cognitive development and academic achievement. ISSA insists that those strategies should help learners to develop the skills that will model them to become responsible members of the community and the nation, by instilling dispositions like a sense of empathy, concern for others, openness and respect for diversity. Teachers should provide learners with opportunities to form, express, and justify their opinions, as well as to make choices and intelligent decisions and to reach consensus.
2.5.3.1 Group work
Varol and Farran (2006) state that teachers should create learner-centred classrooms that help learners to learn mathematics through the use of interesting classroom discussions and group work. Such strategies create an opportunity for learners to share ideas about and find solutions for the given problems. Varol and Farran (2006) insist that group work is a good strategy to use in order to help learners to learn mathematics effectively. During group work, learners share ideas and are able to apply previously learned knowledge and, as a result, they learn from one another. However, teachers need to be careful when they form groups in order to avoid anti-social behaviours that may occur and thereby hinder the intended learning process for some learners.
2.5.3.2 Projects
Clement (2001, p. 274) suggests that teachers should use projects as a teaching approach because it caters for learners of all different levels of readiness “…to become involved meaningfully with mathematics”. For instance, the teacher can engage learners in a project where they will be making a table. Learners will be involved in measuring the length, width, and height of the table using arbitrary units like boxes of matches, sticks, strings, their hands or feet. As these units are not accurate, through the guidance and support of the teacher, learners will resort to the process of making their own rulers. During these processes a number of mathematical concepts will be learned and applied such as counting, measuring, and mathematical language will be used such as small, big, short, long and tall. Clement (2001) also suggests that teachers should help learners develop mathematical concepts by planning and introducing activities that deal with mathematics. For instance, games that use numbers and card and board games will provide experiences with counting, matching and comparing.
28 2.5.3.3. Exploration
Henning (2014) suggests that teachers can assist learners to make world mathematics by engaging them in different situations such as inspiring learners to explore the natural world and its processes. Teachers should understand that Grade R learners need to experience mathematics physically rather than to be hurried to work on paper in order to express their ideas.
2.5.3.4 Integration of mathematics with other subjects
Henning (2014) indicates that teachers need to engage all the senses as much as possible so as to help learners experience mathematics at first hand. Teachers also need to integrate mathematics with other subjects. For instance, to integrate concepts such as time, space and number, the teacher could take learners outside during summer and show them a tree that bears fruit and ask them questions like: “How many fruit do you see on this branch?”
(number) or: “How far apart are these fruit on the branch?”
2.5.3.5 Integrating mathematics within daily routine
Greenes et al. (2004) also suggest that teachers should make use of stories and songs to teach mathematical concepts because narratives are a major component of Grade R programs and are useful for developing mathematical skills. However, Greenes et al. (2004, p. 160) caution that “integrating mathematics within daily routine activities is not sufficient because building on those activities does not provide systematic and sustained mathematical experiences that can lead to integrated learning and retention”. This implies that it is important for teachers to understand and be knowledgeable about mathematical topics that are stipulated in the curriculum. This knowledge will help them to plan logical and appropriate lesson plans that will expose learners to mathematical concepts in all major content areas of mathematics.
NAEYC and NCTM (2002) outline learning paths and teaching strategies to be employed in order to promote effective learning of mathematics. For number and operation, the teacher could demonstrate counting of small collections, then guide learners to count in everyday situations stressing that we use one counting word for each object. The teacher can further help learners to count in twos, fives and tens. The teacher can also challenge learners by giving them a brief glimpse of a small collection of items like stones, and then ask how many
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there are. Teachers may tell real-life stories involving numbers problems and then ask questions like: “How many are there?” and “How many were added?”
NAEYC and NCTM (2002) maintain that for the teaching of geometry and spatial awareness, teachers can use strategies like introducing and labelling a wide variety of shapes such as a fat triangle and a slim rectangle. The teacher should create a situation where a variety of shapes are placed in different positions, for example a cylinder standing upright in the corner of the classroom. Teachers should also create opportunities for learners to construct their own shapes and make pictures or models using shapes, after which they are encouraged to talk about their creations. NAEYC and NCTM (2002) suggest that, to facilitate effective learning of measurement, teachers should use comparing words such as: “This lunch box is heavier than that block”. Teachers are encouraged to create situations that capture learners’ interest in measuring, for example marking a garden row using various units such as a pair of shoes. For effective teaching of patterns, algebra teachers should demonstrate and encourage learners to create patterns and ask questions like: “What is missing?” Learners should then be encouraged to discuss their patterns. Teachers should encourage learners to find colour and shape patterns in the environment, and number patterns on calendars and number charts.
NAEYC and NCTM (2002) indicate that for effective learning of data analysis and display, teachers should invite learners to collect and sort materials by colour and size and then encourage them to discuss and compare categories. Teachers should also work with learners to make simple numerical summaries such as bar graphs to compare data.