Measure With Pleasure: Length Measurement Teaching Framework In Early Childhood

Abstract

Length measurement is considered to be an important area of mathematics as it is used consistently in our everyday lives. It develops mathematical thinking, reasoning and logic. Mathematics in early childhood includes two main domains: geometry and number, length measurement connects these two together. That being said, measuring is a complex skill that includes what may be foundational concepts, such as: conservation, transitivity, iteration of a standard unit, understanding of the attribute, equal partitioning, accumulation of distance, origin, and relation to a number. Literature indicates that sadly, many children are not able to acquire the basic measurement skills or use them properly. They measure in a faulty manner, do not apply it correctly in relevant situations and have difficulties in explaining measurement procedures. Measurements in early childhood must be done in a procedural manner within authentic situations in order to be relevant to children's lives. In order for children to learn measurements in a significant fashion, they need to be active participants in structured yet authentic games. In this paper, several activities that demonstrate a cognitively appropriate instruction of length measurements for early childhood educational settings will be introduced.

Keywords: Early childhood educational, geometry, intervention program, length measurement

Introduction

This article is about developing length measurement skills in early childhood. One has to think about how children's spatial sense can be advanced, by activities that begin with play and include key concepts of measurement. In different sciences different values ​​are measured, and to give phenomena an objective character, different units of measure are used. The history of mathematics in general and the history of geometry in particular started from the measurements. The word itself "geometry" means "soil measurement" in Greek: soil = geo, measurement = metro (Nitabach & Lehrer, 1996). In fact, it is necessary to measure any physical quantity and therefore choose appropriate units of measurement, which are fixed and known quantities for each physical quantity: weight, temperature, velocity, volume, angle and more. Typically, for measuring any physical quantity there are several units of measurement. In ancient cultures, the most accessible sizes were used as units of measurement - parts of the human body, such as cubit or tap, or sizes related to the human body, such as a step. Measurement units such as where to measure volume are also known. When you measure something, you actually define its properties in relation to special units of measure. For centuries, humans have developed methods of measurement that are common in most parts of the world (Morris & Langari, 2012).

Humans, however, use units of measure routinely in their lives, but it should not be forgotten that defining these units is a complex and difficult task, sometimes requiring complicated technological solutions in order to represent the unit accurately and consistently (Clements & Sarama, 2014). Whereas in the past the units of measurement were determined out of social agreement on a certain size that was available to all those involved in the measurement, today the goal is to link the units of measurement to natural, independent phenomena that exist in nature.

Problem Statement

The concept of length is critical in its importance both in everyday life and in formal geometry. In everyday life, one uses length to describe the size of objects or the distance he has reached. In geometry, humans use length to add accuracy to descriptions of shapes and bodies (Battista, 2006). Despite its importance and although it seems simple, the concept of length can be very difficult to understand for children. The critical question is how do children develop a concept of length?

Research Questions

Children naturally measure almost anything. Early and repetitive experiences with cultural tools such as rulers, and with a general epistemology of quantification that characterise many contemporary societies, provide fertile ground for developing a mathematical understanding of measurement. Developmental studies suggest that children's perceptions of measurement reflect a collection of evolving concepts whose coordination gradually develops as a network of relationships rather than as a unified concept of measurement. This article seeks to promote children's spatial understanding, through activities that begin with play and include key concepts of measurement.

Purpose of the Study

The importance of this article lies in the fact that it brings to the forefront the uniqueness of early childhood learning and the appropriate stages of measurement at this age accompanied by proactive activities. It is important to note again that traditional teaching refers to measurement as an empirical procedure only and not necessarily as a process that requires reasoning / justification.

Research Methods

This is a theoretical article based on the research literature that discusses the unique ways of preschoolers to measure length. This is the place to note that various curricula (Ministry of Education, 2010; NCTM, 1989) suggest that the subject of measurement in kindergartens of primary school will include concrete experiences, in which students will use measurement processes, to interact with their environment, and actively explore the real world. Children should be able to control the choice of the appropriate size and type of units of measure for given measurement situations (NCTM, 2000). These requirements are important in elementary school but are doubly important in planning activities for kindergarten children.

Findings

Based on the literature review that presented the complexity of acquiring the skills required to measure length, it's time to shed light on the unique early childhood learning path and offer several activities that advance the acquisition of ability.

People, at any age, actively build mathematical knowledge, but children in preschool are a special group, and their teaching should be planned carefully. Clements (2001) points out two of their special features. First, the ideas that preschoolers develop can be quite different from those of adults. Kindergarten teachers should be especially careful not to assume that children "see" situations, problems or solutions, like adults.

Second, young children do not perceive their world or act within it as if it is divided into different professions. Well-planned educational practice helps children develop pre-mathematical knowledge and mathematical knowledge throughout the day. Activities that simultaneously promote intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development should be planned. Such comprehensive teaching and learning builds on the high motivation of kindergarten children to learn through self-direction. Such teaching advances looking at mathematics positively as a problem-solving, self-motivated, and self-directed activity at a time when children are first developing beliefs, habits, and emotions about mathematics (Clements, 2001).

A child's skill advancement in the mathematics field is related to the opportunities he has to deal with mathematics, the way the kindergarten teacher exposes him to dealing with mathematics, the type of activities and the assignments she presents to him, her ability to track is advancement, and the mediation she performs in order to advance him.

Dealing with mathematics in kindergarten should be both occasional and planned. During the activity in the kindergarten the children and the teacher encounter different occasional situations, that involve mathematics or that have the option to deal with mathematics. It is important that the teacher would use this situation and navigate it so that it advances the kids. Using occasional situations to deal with mathematics is important but not sufficient. Occasional situations do not allow dealing with all of the mathematical subjects, and not always allow dealing in a gradual manner, therefore they constitute only some of the intentional mathematical activities in a kindergarten. In parallel the teacher must plan activities in advance and to involve the children in these activities.

A unique project was performed in one of the famous kindergartens in Emilia Reggio in Italy. Clements (2001) describes the project "Shoe and Meter" from the writings of Malaguzzi (1997) in which a group of children wants another desk identical to one they already have. A local carpenter says he will build the table, but he needs measurements, the children first try to measure with their fingers. They then try to measure with the help of heads, fists, width of arms, and legs. After that the children turn to objects, like books. They seem to be beginning to realise that using objects will be easier than using body parts.

Finally, after working on other measurement tasks suggested by the kindergarteners, the children are present to know that they need some kind of measurable measurement. They start by creating their own rulers. They use a shoe, stepping with it on a strip of paper they put on the table to mark the distances.

In the kindergarten garden, the children compare the height of two plants that grew next to each other (the same type in the same flower bed, or between plants in adjacent beds), and use a direct comparison or comparison with a mediator such as a pole on which the hight of the plant will be marked (Ministry of Education, 2010).

(1) The children throw a ball from a common starting point. Each child in his turn measures the distance from the starting point to where the ball reached. (2) The children throw a ball from a common starting point to a defined goal and measure the distance between the ball and the goal. This game encourages the use of repeat units, standard or non-standard. It is suitable for children who feel confident in using a direct comparison (Ministry of Education, 2010).

(A rabbit with a tail – Figure 1): It is possible to tell the story of the "King of the Tails" by Ronit Hacham-Herson (1987). The story tells about rabbits living in the woods and every year hold a contest among them. The rabbits sits together in the forest and measure their tails. Whoever has the longest tail is chosen to be the king, the tails sit together in the clearing and measure the tails. How to measure? Where do you start? The story is about measuring length, and through it the children learn to know different ways of measuring, among them measuring using measuring tools.

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Inside a shoe box with openings for arms at each end, let's say wooden sticks of different lengths. Each child pulls one stick out of the box. The children compare the lengths of the sticks by placing them on the table surface. The child holding the longer stick, or the shorter one, receives both sticks. If the sticks have the same length, they are returned to the box. This game develops the use of a baseline to compare the length of two objects (Schwartz, 1995).

Conclusion

Acceptable units of measure allow us to speak in a common language in almost every area of ​​our lives. Through measurements we give quantitative meaning to the environment in which we live. When we measure, we use mathematical skills. Children engage in measurements and the perception of different quantities and the order of scale even before they develop an understanding and measurement skills. As children acquire more and more mathematical concepts, they also develop an understanding of size ratios, using thinking skills such as sorting, comparing, estimating, problem solving, distinguishing and generalising. The most significant contexts for developing comprehension and measurement ability in preschool occur when children engage in measurement in real-life situations that require measurement. In planning the teaching and learning processes in the kindergarten, the kindergarten teacher must combine the subject of measurement with the various topics included in the curriculum in the kindergarten.

In conclusion, this article paves the way for future research aimed at examining the use of strategies and measuring devices among compulsory kindergarten children through play in performing a variety of tasks related to measuring length. A variety of materials that allow measurement will be offered, the children will be asked to explain their measurement procedures.

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