CHILDREN'S WAYS OF THINKING WHEN COPING WITH EVERYDAY MATHEMATICAL SITUATIONS
Keywords:
mathematics, everyday situations, preschool children.Abstract
Already at a very young age, children come across mathematical situations as part of their everyday life in preschool and at home. Engagement in mathematical situations helps children in developing their mathematical thinking. Listening to children while they are coping with such situations, help us learn more about their ways of thinking. This study describes the ways of thinking of four children aged 5.2–6.4 when dealing with nine everyday mathematical situations, involving addition, subtraction and division into equal groups. The children have given correct answers to almost all situations and used a variety of solution strategies. They have used mental calculations in some of the situations, while in others they have used their fingers and/or manipulatives. The children have paid attention to the numbers given in the situations and one child has surprized us by showing number sense, when using the compensation method for solving 7+5 and 8+4.References
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