Embracing Math Talks Outdoors

 

“The book of nature is written in the language of Mathematics.” 

Galileo

The children were gathered around a zinnia in the garden. Right in the middle was a fuzzy bee covered in pollen. I stood back and listened to their conversation. 

"Wow! Look at those cool wings! They are as big as his body!"

"I like his hairy little legs. He holds onto the flower when he walks."

"Look at all the pollen on him. It covers his entire body!"

"I wonder how much food he all day."

Spending time outdoors in nature is vital for children's mental and physical health and well-being. In our kindergarten program we are usually outside for one or two hours each day. We engage children in a variety of play-based, inquiry-based experiences. Each day we also encourage children to freely explore the yard. I love to step back and observe their play. The observations they make, and the questions that they ask, are filled with rich math potential. Many times we have had a deep math exploration as a result of their observations and wonderings about the natural world.

Many educators are familiar with Sherry Parrish's Number Talks - a strategy where children participate in daily math explorations designed to help them play with numbers. Children are introduced to a problem and asked to visualize what is happening, while using previous math knowledge and experiences to perform a quick calculation. Children are encouraged to share their ideas with one another. As the math conversation occurs children learn from their peers as they explore different ways the math was solved. This daily practice helps build confidence and fluency in math as students reflect upon their ideas, gather feedback from others, and acquire new ways of interpreting and solving math problems.

In the July 2021 issue of Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK to 12 Jo Boaler writes about how educators can leverage 'data talks' to help students delve into analyzing and understanding data more fully. Similar to a number talk, data talks encourage children to notice and wonder about different representations they see (e.g., bar graphs, line graphs, collections of objects). Boaler posits that data talks will help children visualize and make sense of the information they notice emerging in different data, helping them to grow as critical consumers of information.

Like number and data talks, educators can embrace the power of math talks outdoors to help children recognize, understand and appreciate the authentic and integrated ways that math exists in nature. 

Math talks outdoors can happen in two ways: 

Preplanned - educators who wish to engage children in an exploration of a specific math concept (e.g., patterning, symmetry) can guide children to an object or experience outside that demonstrates this in real life. Perhaps an educator is hoping to spark an interest in symmetry, or needs additional assessment opportunities for this topic. S/he can guide the class to the garden where they can observe symmetrical flowers and engage in a conversation about what they see, think and wonder. 

Spontaneous - educators carefully observe children's conversations and interactions outdoors. As children notice and wonder about a specific phenomena (e.g., how fast the wind is blowing, the shadow a leaf is creating on the ground), educators scaffold and support the mathematical inquiry. Educators listen to the questions children ask, and help them conduct research into finding an answer. The research into the question or wondering can happen briefly, or extend over time, as additional resources and information are used to deepen the mathematical exploration and understanding. As math ideas emerge, educators can 'notice and name' these in the context for children (e.g., "The distance around a tree stump is called the circumference. We can measure it in many different ways. Let's find the stump with the biggest circumference in our yard.").

Math talks outdoors will inspire children to look at their world through a mathematical lens. Seeing math concepts in authentic contexts will help children understand the relevance math has to their lives and the world around them. Abstract mathematical ideas can become more concrete and easily understood and internalized by children. Some of our richest math inquiries have sparked as a result of the children's curiosity about the world around them. 

Some tips for getting started:

• Uses the see/think/wonder routine where children are asked to state what they see in a particular situation or object, share what they think about this situation or object, and share a question or wonder they might have. (I see circles forming when the rain drips into the puddle. I think these are happening because the rain is falling from the sky quickly. I wonder why some circles are bigger than others.)
• Record children's conversations and take photos of their explorations for future reference. These can be brought to a whole group meetings for further discussion, or reviewed at a later date for assessment purposes. 
• Look for interesting objects and events in your school yard in which to draw children's attention. Use a 'notice and name' strategy where you share your observations and connections with children in order to pique their curiosity and spark an investigation.
• Connect math concepts and vocabulary when exploring outdoors. Help children see the math in the natural world, and practice using the proper terminology (e.g., The way the tree branches are positioned  is called a fractal pattern.")
• Bring outdoor math talks inside by using artifacts and photos with children during whole group discussions. Similar to outside experiences, ask children to observe an object (e.g., feather, shell) or photo (e.g., of a child jumping off a stump) and make mathematical observations and connections.

Like number and data talks, the possibilities for learning by regularly incorporating math talks outdoors are limitless. Invite children to share their ideas, connections, and questions with one another, as they appreciate the beauty and joy that math outdoors has to offer.

Exploring Math in an Inquiry-Based Kindergarten Program

Math has become a great interest for me due to a school wide focus on improving children’s interest in and attitude towards math. I was introduced to the work of Sherry Parrish regarding ‘number talks’ and felt it was a strategy that could easily be implemented into a play-based, inquiry-based FDK program. I have been fascinated by Jo Boaler's work on Mathematical Mindset. After learning about and implementing a focus on number talks and making math meaningful and engaging for children, I noticed huge gains in children’s computation and fluency as well as the time they spent during free play working with math tools and strategies. This was incredibly motivating for me.

Positive Growth Mindset

As a child I disliked math. I felt I wasn’t ‘smart enough’. My reading and current practice with number talks and growth mindset has shown me it’s not about how ‘smart’ you are, but how hard you work and persist with any given activity. Just as important are teachers' mindsets towards math and math learning. We need to truly believe that any child can succeed at math and create a supportive environment where they feel free to take risks and aren't afraid to make mistakes. Low floor high ceiling tasks will provide entry points for all learners and ensure we are able to differentiate to high degrees when needed for those children who are learning at different rates and require a different challenge (see an example here). I want to help children change their mindsets towards math and discover that there are many different ways to analyze, interpret, and solve a math problem. Math can be an enjoyable activity and is hugely relevant to our lives. I also wanted to continue to positively change my own mindset towards math as an educator and parent. To see some of the extensive work we have done on growth mindset please visit other entries tagged with this label.



Our Program

Children’s early learning experiences have a profound effect on their development. Early interactions directly affect the way connections are made within the brain. To give each child the best start possible our kindergarten program provides a variety of learning opportunities and experiences that challenge and engage children while building confidence - providing foundations in cognitive, physical, emotional, and social development. In our kindergarten class, we want each and every child to enjoy coming to school and to see learning as fun, exciting, and meaningful. We explore lots of teacher-guided and child-initiated opportunities that appeal to each child’s learning style. We want to help develop life long learners! Reaching each child’s potential while supporting learning development is the main goal of our kindergarten program.

                 

Gradual Release of Responsibility in a Playful Math Environment

The goal in a playful environment is for children to be comfortable and confident applying mathematical strategies in authentic problem-solving situations. An educator helps children become successful by first introducing the ‘big ideas’ of math in a whole group situation and then providing numerous opportunities for children to practise using the tools, terminology and strategies in authentic contexts during small group time and the open play block. For example, during circle time the educator might introduce a ten frame, demonstrate how to use it for various purposes (e.g., subitizing, counting, recording, adding) and then encourage children to independently use the ten frame in small group activities and play.

Here is a sample math lesson where children are considering what they observe and wonder in a growing shape pattern:

Authentic Math in an Inquiry Model

In emergent programs educators aim to embed rich math resources and opportunities throughout the room and not just in a defined ‘math centre’ in order to encourage organic exploration. The children are investigating and finding solutions to questions or problems generated in the social interactions they have during playtime. Teachers can bring these inquiry-based topics and authentic queries to the whole group for extensive discussion, specifically highlighting math and computation when applicable. Because children are highly invested in solving these problems they will be more likely to work together to brainstorm various strategies for arriving at solutions that meet the needs of many learners.

Finding the balance in emergent practices also means that the teacher carefully selects developmentally appropriate activities that capture children’s interests while still fulfilling curriculum expectations. Interesting materials can be placed in the classroom and the teacher can ask questions or suggest challenges to entice children into exploring these further. An emergent kindergarten program creates natural opportunities for purposeful computation by:

• providing children the freedom to explore self-directed areas of interest 
• introducing interesting and challenging materials for children to use independently and with teacher guidance
• emphasizing a child-centered problem-solving approach when difficulties arise
• using organic materials and loose parts in place of commercial products
• honouring children’s questions and providing guidance when needed

 

Documentation 

Young children show their understanding by doing, showing, and telling. They come school with a wide variety of experiences, interests, strengths, and needs. We will observe, listen, and ask questions in order to assess the achievement of each child. This information will then be used to determine instruction so the diverse needs of each child are met.

Observation is the most important assessment strategy that we use in the classroom. Since students spend much of the day interacting with others in various learning centers, we will spend a lot of our time observing children in action and recording these observations.

In our classroom we will create a portfolio for each child – it will contain pieces of “work” from throughout the year. This includes samples of writing, drawn pictures, photos of the child engaged in the classroom, recorded notes from observations of them in action, recordings of student/teacher conferences, and pieces of artwork. Portfolios can be viewed by parents anytime, and will be shared during parent-teacher conferences at report card time. Portfolios are also sent home on a regular basis and parent feedback is encouraged through the use of a parent observation sheet. See a copy of our reflective prompts page to families here.

Environment as the Third Teacher

We start the beginning of the school year with empty walls. Working together we slowly create documentation displays that reflect our questions and explorations using artifacts of learning (e.g., photos, artwork). Effective documentation “draws others into the experience - evidence or artifacts that describe a situation, tell a story, and help the viewer to understand the purpose of the action” (Seize, p. 88). As the year progresses our walls honour learning by sharing the children’s journey helping them to feel valued, respected, and encouraged to take greater risks in their work with others. This work then inspires the children to reflect upon what they have done to help consolidate learning and use this as a reference or inspiration for future explorations.

Seitz, H. (2008). The power of documentation in the early childhood classroom. Young Children, March: 88 - 93.

Welcome!

This year Amherstburg Public School is proud to be embarking on a new adventure by initiating the province's Full Day Early Learning Kindergarten Program. The purpose of the program is to provide children a strong start in school. The Early Learning Team (ELT) consists of a teacher (Mrs. McLennan) and an Early Childhood Educator (Mrs. Oshar), who will collaborate to create an environment where our youngest learners can engage in activities to help them develop physically, emotionally, socially, and intellectually.  This will be accomplished through a balance of teacher-guided and child-centered activities. Play-based learning will be our primary method of instruction.

Our program will be integrated - this means that each classroom will consist of both Junior Kindergarten and Senior Kindergarten children. Integrated classrooms have many benefits: they help build self-esteem, self-confidence, and risk-taking while developing problem-solving strategies in children. Younger learners have more models to imitate and benefit from practising skills in a safe and supportive environment. Older learners have the opportunity to build on what they already know and refine their knowledge and abilities while developing leadership skills.

Some important information for you as we begin our kindergarten journey together:

1.  Clothing: Our program is a very active learning environment for young children. They will paint, cut and paste, climb, jump, run, and work with sand and water. Messiness is a sign of hard work in kindergarten. Please dress your child so that they are in comfortable play clothes that can get dirty.

2.  Supplies:  Please send your child to school with the following: a backpack, a pair of indoor running shoes to be left at school, an extra set of clothes (shirt, pants, underwear, socks) to be left at school, and a lunch bag. Please label all items that come to school including jackets, shoes, boots, etc. We appreciate donations of the following items: package of thick colouring markers, package of coloured pencils, package of crayons, package of glue sticks, and a box of kleenex.

3.  Mail Bag: Every child will bring home a plastic communication bag each day. This bag will be used to send information back and forth from school to your home. Please ensure you check this mail bag each day for important notes home and your child's work. If you have any notes for us please send them in the mail bag and remind your child in the morning to hand the bag into us by placing it in our mail bag bin.

4.  Changes in Routine:  We will be asking each family to provide names of any emergency contacts who have permission to pick your child up from school. Children will not be sent home with any person not on our list. Unfamiliar faces will be asked to show I.D. to a teacher before a child is released to them.  Please ensure you contact the school if a change in pick-up is anticipated. If your child will not be attending school due to illness, please ensure you contact the school to let us know at 519-736-2189. Your child's safety is our first priority. Thank you for your cooperation with this.