To many individuals, maths and play are not connected at all. When it comes to maths many people describe it as ‘boring’, ‘torture’ or ‘something which was compulsory’. This is a devastating matter as, in reality, this should not be the case (Early Years). The Curriculum For Excellence has a huge focus on using active learning in order to help children engage with a range of different materials and also apply different concepts to real life situations. By introducing maths through play, this will help to get rid of the stereotypical views of the subject and will help students to understand how maths is a useful subject and relates to everyday life. Toys, games and other materials used to learn mathematics can help to relieve the pressure and intimidation of maths (Early Years).
It is seen that babies immediately react to the different shapes that make up the human face (Nursery Resources, 2018). This shows that the learning of maths starts from a very early age and is being learnt through simple activities. Both sand and water are another two aspects which are used to enhance aspects of maths at a young age. Through playing which these features, children can begin to develop the idea of some mathematical concepts and language and also look at different patterns and shapes in which they can make using the materials (Early Years). This concludes that maths can be learnt through play in a variety of settings and not just at pre-school and school.
“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.” (The Strong National Museum of Play,2018). I feel that this quote summarises how important it is that active learning is used during learning, in order for the children to understand what is being and learnt and also to allow the children to link their findings to everyday life.
Through my time at Primary School, I feel that my learning actively, this really helped to engage me in my learning and helped to change my overall opinion of Mathematics from a young age. To me, active learning was an important part of my learning and helped to me feel the enjoyment of maths and helped me to learn the basics of mathematics. Now, looking from a teachers point of view, I feel that it is important that a number of maths lessons are done actively as this will help to engage all children.
References
Early Years () Maths Through Play , Available at: http://www.early-years.org/parents/docs/maths-through-play.pdf (Accessed: 22nd October 2018).
The Strong National Museum of Play (2018) Play Quotes , Available at: http://www.museumofplay.org/education/education-and-play-resources/play-quotes (Accessed: 22nd October 2018).
Nursery Resources (2018) Maths and Numeracy in Early Years , Available at: https://www.nurseryresources.org/post/maths-and-numeracy-earlyyears (Accessed: 22nd October 2018).
