Educational Games and Activities in Preschool Mathematics

Year 2018, Volume: 9 , 229 - 238, 18.08.2018

Anna Klım-klımaszewska

Abstract

The core preschool curriculum currently binding in Poland sets forth the
objective of pre-school education, the preventive and educational tasks of
kindergartens, preschool departments in primary schools and other forms of
preschool education, and the results of their implementation, i.e. the goals
which children attain on completion of their preschool education. The objective
of preschool education is to support the full development of children. This
assistance comes in the form of care, upbringing and teaching & learning
processes, which allow the child to discover its potential, get to know the
logic of actions, and to gain experience on its road to truth, goodness and beauty.
As a consequence, the child becomes mature enough to enter the first level of
education. Preschool education defines educational contents as the elements of
culture that are intentionally selected and included in the process of
education. Cultural contents are the most crucial means of educational activity
in preschools, as thanks to them the child absorbs the social achievements of
many generations and may develop as a human being. Hence, in practice,
preschool educational contents are classified, according to the domain of
culture producing various type values, into:

-        
mental education including speech
and thinking development (Polish language education), introduction to the
qualitative and quantitative relations and mathematical concept development
(Mathematical education), discovering nature (Scientific education),

-        
aesthetics education,

-        
social and moral education,

-        
health education.

Mathematical education is one of the most difficult
areas of education. Maths is often not only non-supportive in terms of child’s
intellectual development, but in some children it can also impede or distort
their personalities. As early as in preschool, children often experience
failures, which may cause real drama. Consequently, many children are afraid of
Maths and tend to avoid, by all means, any out-of-school situations associated
with it. Research demonstrates that every fourth child at the end of the first
grade/the beginning of the second grade experiences difficulties with Maths;
whereas, every third child in the third grade cannot meet the requirements of
the class. The main causes of the fear of and aversion to Maths are preschool
failures. Thus, how to organise Mathematics so that they bring the desired
results? It seems that to help the child reach the level of curricular
requirements, often a simple introduction of other exercises, suited to the
child’s abilities and difficulties it experiences, would suffice. The article
presents analyses regarding the influence of educational games and activities
on the level of mathematical skills of 5-year-olds within the Siedlce city area
(Poland). Research included 380 six-year-olds and 40 teachers. The first study
was conducted in November and the second – in April, after a five-month
mathematical education with the use of educational games and activities.

Keywords

Educational games, Educational activities, Mathematical education, Six-year-old, Kindergarten, Mathematical skills

References

• Bleher, F. N. (1952). Gry dydaktyczne i pomoce do gier w przedszkolu [Didactic games and game aids in preschool]. Bydgoszcz: PZWS. Błanik, R. (1999), Zabawy w edukacji wczesnoszkolnej [Games in early-school education], Życie Szkoły, 2, 103-104, 137-138. Filip J., & Rams T. (2000). Dziecko w świecie matematyki [Child in the world of Maths], Kraków: Impuls. Gruszczyk-Kolczyńska E., & Zielińska E. (2004). Wspomaganie rozwoju umysłowego czterolatków i pięciolatków [Supporting mental development of four- and five-year olds]. Warszawa: WSiP. Iwańska D. (2001). Zajęcia matematyczne (Maths classes), Wychowanie w Przedszkolu, 4, 227-229. Kamecka E. (2004). Praca z sześciolatkiem... od A do Z. Z praktyki [Working with a six-year-old... from A to Z. From practice], Wychowanie w Przedszkolu, 6, 37-43 Kędzior-Niczyporuk E. (2003). Wprowadzenie do pedagogiki zabawy [Introduction into the pedagogy of fun]. Lublin: Klanza. Klim-Klimaszewska A. (2010). Pedagogika przedszkolna. Nowa podstawa programowa [Preschool pedagogy. New core curriculum]. Warszawa: ERICA. Kruszewski K. (2004). Sztuka nauczania. Czynności nauczyciela [The art of teaching. Teacher’s activities]. Warszawa: PWN. Łukasik L., & Cyran T. (2002). Gry i zabawy dydaktyczne [Educational games]. Życie Szkoły, 5, 307-312. Nowak J. (2011). Dziecięce budowanie obrazu pojęciowego liczby [Children’s construction of conceptual images of numbers], Wychowanie na co Dzień, 1-2, 28-31. Okoń W. (1987). Zabawa a rzeczywistość [Games vs reality]. Warszawa: WSiP. Pisarski M. (1992). Matematyka dla naszych dzieci. Gry i zabawy rozwijające uzdolnienia matematyczne [Mathematics for our children. Games and activities developing mathematical talents]. Warszawa: Eceri. Rynek J. (2003). Gry i zabawy sześciolatków [Games for six-year-olds]. Wychowanie w Przedszkolu, 5, 545-547. Skura M. (2009). Wyzwania edukacji matematycznej (Challenges of mathematical education), Bliżej Przedszkola, 12, 43-45.