Playful and manipulative activities in kindergarten: strategies to promote active and integrated learning
AUTHORS
Jose Gravel | jmc@uac.pt | University of the Azores
Ricardo Cunha Teixeira | ricardo.ec.teixeira@uac.pt | NICA-UAc & FCT-UAc
Diana Oliveira | di.oliveira7810@gmail.com | University of the Azores
SUMMARY
This article presents a reflection on some of the playful and manipulative activities carried out by children during an internship in Preschool, within the scope of the Master's Degree in Preschool Education and Teaching of the 1st Cycle of Basic Education, at the University of the Azores. With the activities discussed in this article, we intend to show that mathematical games can stimulate children's learning from an early age, promoting interconnection with other areas and domains expressed in the Curricular Guidelines for Preschool Education.
It is important to note that there was a concern to select tasks that worked on the three mathematical themes that are normally grouped into numbers and operations, geometry and measurement, and data organization and processing. In addition to this choice, it was also decided to present tasks that explored problem solving, mathematical reasoning and mathematical communication, three transversal skills that should be worked on from an early age.
This article begins by presenting a brief theoretical basis, highlighting some authors who defend the importance of working with Mathematics through playful means, using games and manipulative materials. This is followed by a presentation of the implemented tasks and, finally, brief final considerations that highlight the most interesting aspects of each task presented, as well as their interconnection with other areas and domains.
KEYWORDS
games; manipulative materials; preschool; integrated learning.
RELEVANT DATES
Published: 2013/12/21