Week 6

Week 6 (Week 2)
Emma Fitzpatrick 2107606

“Learning to read the world: Literacy in the first 3 years. Zero to Three, 25” Sharon E Rosenkoetter, Joanne Knapp-Philo

“Playing with Mathematics: Play in Early Childhood as a Context for Mathematical Learning” J Bobis, S Dockett, R Hunting, B Perry, E Warren, L Thomas, S Lee, K Highfield, E deVries.

I chose these two articles, as I wanted to gain an insight about children’s knowledge and understandings of literacy and numeracy. The literacy reading ‘Learning to read the World: Literacy in the first 3 years. Zero to Three, 35’ , I found very interesting that children from infants are developing skills that I would have never recognised as literacy.

During the first 3 years of life, children learn to distinguish who they are/who they aren’t, what they want/do not want, what Mum and Dad do and like and much more. Babies know exactly what to do when Mum holds them a certain way, that its time for sleeping or eating. Every parent or caregiver is able to help children to grow in literacy and language areas.

In the numeracy reading, ‘Playing with Mathematics’, the many authors describe mathematics through ‘understanding connections, processes and possibilities’. Mathematics and play have many points in common and are able to be combined to assist children’s learning developments. Through guided learning and play, children are able to understand connections, form the processes and understand the possibilities of the focus area.

This article developed my knowledge in mathematics teaching, through relating mathematics and play to achieve desired outcomes. Although I knew, in Early Childhood settings, play is used regularly to convey education and understanding, I had never really put words to my knowledge.  I will now be able to help add ideas and contribute into mathematical learning in the field.

The literacy reading opened my eyes up into different ways that children are developing knowledge and understandings. Different practices and ways that children understand their surroundings are adding to geographical, political, time and intention all through literacy. I will now be able to recognise these factors and help build on the experiences that are given to me, rather than overlooking them and not fully understanding what they mean.

References
(L) Rosenkoetter, S. & Knapp-Philo, J. (2004). Learning to read the world: Literacy in the first 3 years. Zero to Three, 25(1), 4-9.

(N) Bobis, J., deVries, E., Dockett, S., Highfield, K., Hunting, R., Lee, S., Perry, B. & Thomas, L. (2010, July). Playing with mathematics: Play in early childhood as a context for mathematical learning. Mathematics Education Research Group of Australia’s 33^rd Annual Conference: Shaping the Future of Mathematics Education, Fremantle, WA.