Mathematics is interwoven throughout play experiences

Recently, I have been frequently asked ‘how do you incorporate maths into kindergarten learning?’  It is fascinating how numeracy weaves into play.  Then I remembered how I wrote a blog about mathematics years ago and thought I would re-share it.

The thing I love about early childhood is how the curriculum is interwoven throughout play experiences.  Intentional teaching coupled with thoughtful planning of the environmental set up, provides children many opportunities to develop their numeracy and literacy knowledge in a holistic manner, and can also include language, physical, and social skills.

It still surprises me when I hear comments about how children get into ‘real’ learning once they start school.  As an early childhood teacher I know and support that children learn through play, it is through play that children explore and make discoveries about their world.

“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning.  But for children, play is serious learning.  Play is really the work of childhood.”  Fred Rogers

While children are engaged in play there are many opportunities and experiences that help to form connections that are made between new ideas and existing knowledge while gaining an understanding of mathematical concepts, including number sense, measurement, spatial awareness (geometry), sequencing, classifying and sorting, counting, and recognising patterns (algebra). 

“Mathematics is a natural activity for children; they demonstrate a great capacity for learning mathematics long before they enter school.”  Dr Jean Shaw

Early childhood are crucial years for children to gain an understanding and develop their thinking around the concepts of more or less, biggest or smallest, longest or shortest, near or far, heavy or light and wide or narrow.

“Exploring mathematics can help kindergarten children satisfy and deepen their natural curiosity about sizes, shapes, numbers and relationships they encounter in the world.”  Dr Jean Shaw

At kindergarten we are thoughtful with our environmental set up that invites children through their natural curiosity, to be active participants and learners by engaging in meaningful experiences. 

“Children’s understanding of mathematical relationships develop gradually over time, and by describing and working with patterns in the world around them, children are starting to use ideas that are foundational to algebraic thinking.”  Dr Jean Shaw

These experiences can include water play (volume and measurement), imaginary play selling pizzas, how many would you like? (shapes and number sense), cooking (measurement), sorting and classifying items such as stones, shells or dinosaurs, whānau time singing number songs or a real favourite of counting how many children are in attendance at kindergarten.

“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.”  Fred Rogers

Instead of promoting a culture of worksheets, I believe as an early childhood teacher that I can offer children opportunities to learn through my thoughtful planning and intentional practice which provides play experiences that can incorporate numeracy and literacy skills.  It is these foundational skills that children will carry with them as lifelong learners.

“Play is our brain’s favourite way of learning.” Diane Ackerman

Mā te wā

Susie

Harvest Day 2020

Matariki is the Māori name for a group of nine stars, seven of which are visible to the naked eye, known as the Pleiades star cluster. Some traditional Māori stories describe Matariki as a mother star with six daughters, while others refer to the cluster as the Seven Sisters. 

Matariki appears in our eastern sky sometime around the shortest day of the year, and is thought to influence how successful the harvest crop will be in the coming season. The disappearance of Matariki in autumn was an important marker in the traditional harvest calendar, the time to gather and preserve crops.

After the harvest, when the storehouses were full, Māori would celebrate the harvest season. This celebration coincided with the reappearance of Matariki. Matariki begins to rise on the 13^th July in 2020, and this symbolises the coming of the Māori New Year. Traditionally Matariki was celebrated by gathering with whānau (family) and reflecting on the past. Nowadays, Matariki is still seen as an important time to celebrate the earth, and our loved ones, and show respect for the land on which we live (kiwifamilies.co.nz).

Matariki is a very special time of year at Mairtown Kindergarten, providing valued opportunities for our whānau to gather and celebrate our wonderful community; reflecting on the year that has been and the special people we have spent it with, looking towards the coming year with joyful anticipation, and sharing the bounty of the completed harvest with each other. 

This year, the appearance of Matariki occurs during our holidays, so our celebrations span the end of Term 2 and the beginning of Term 3. It began on June 23^rd with one of our favourite events, Harvest Day. Harvest Day 2020 was particularly special for two reasons; firstly because it marked the return of our freedom to share resources with each other since New Zealand's return to level one Covid-19 status, and secondly because it marks the introduction of our new Pataka kai. We are so excited that this beautiful Pataka kai, an initiative close to our hearts, will be positioned outside our kindergartens gates from next term, providing a place for the sharing of food resources within our local community.

Na tō rourou, nā taku rourou ka ora ai te iwi

With your food basket and my food basket the people will thrive

Harvest day celebrates the joy of ‘random acts of kindness’, and enables the sharing of harvest surplus. Each whānau are invited to bring in a gift from their garden or preserve stores, or a homemade treat, accompanied if they wish by a provocation or thought to nourish the soul of the receiver. The offerings are displayed on a beautiful harvest table, and this year for the first time, also on the Pataka kai alongside it. At the end of the day, tamariki and their whānau are able to choose a gift from the display to take home and enjoy.

 Participating in this celebration of reciprocal giving, where tamariki arrive with a treasure which they offer to others, then leave with a treasure offered to them by someone else in their community, is an important experience of kindness and generosity, attributes which are key to our daily practices at Mairtown kindergarten.

                        

Kindness is a simple eight letter word that has the extraordinary power to make the world a better place (source unknown)

In the period leading up to Harvest day, we spend time talking about the event with the tamariki. Along with providing an opportunity to discuss the harvest of the season, this discussion builds both an understanding of what to expect on the day, and develops a keen sense of anticipation and enthusiasm! Ideas are shared, along with memories of previous harvest days offered by our experienced tamariki.

When Harvest Day arrived, we were overwhelmed by the participation and generosity of our whānau as they arrived with their excited tamariki, bearing their gifts and carefully displaying them on the table.  

                       

                               

The table and Pataka kai were soon overflowing with a huge range of offerings, demonstrating the abundance of produce available in our beautiful corner of the wold. Tamariki revisited this area many times during the day, discovering what was on offer and thinking about what they might choose to take home at the end of the day. 

This experience requires the exercising of those all-important patient muscles, and builds resilience as some tamariki cope with the giving up of the prized offering they had brought with them to a different home, and others manage disappointment as someone else chooses the item they were initially hoping for. But everyone was able to find something which filled their hearts with love as they set off for home.

There is such a lot of learning occurring as tamariki contribute to the joyful experience of Harvest day, working together for the common good and developing a strong spirit of togetherness and reciprocity (Te Whāriki, 2017).

So much joy and love was shared, given and received along with the harvest bounty on this day,and it was so heart-warming to see this extended as whānau shared their enjoyment of and gratefulness for the gifts they received, as they acknowledged them on our whānau Facebook page; and as tamariki happily shared with each other what they had brought from their Harvest Day gift in their lunch box the following day. 

Tamariki also shared memories of the day during our morning whānau time discussion.

I love that you get to eat something else than you bring (Kate)

I love that I could take home chocolate cake and strawberries! (Alastair)

My favourite was the Fry bread (Taikura)

I enjoyed Harvest Day- especially the Plum Cake (Holly)

Thanks for the yummy brocolli! (William)

I had some Lemon raspberry strawberry muffins and I could share them with Mum and Lilly and Maddy (Ivy)

I got Susie’s ricie slicie and I shared it with my Nan (Harper C)

Giving to others, without expecting anything in return is something that we, as adults, should all role model to children. No matter how small an act of kindness is, it has a huge impact on how someone may feel. Our hearts are full, and being able to return to celebrating our traditional Mairtown kindergarten Matariki celebrations after the restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 crisis was so special. We now look forward to being able to extend the Mairtown ethos of caring and sharing into our wider community through the Pataka kai; and of course to the next highly anticipated event on our Matariki calendar, our hangi evening early next term.

E hoa ma, ina te ora o te tangata

My friends, this is the essence of life.

Ngā mihi mahana

Anne