Mathematical games: a challenge for children and educators/teachers
AUTHORS
Jose Gravel | jmc@uac.pt | University of the Azores
Rachel Nogueira | raquelpereiranogueira@hotmail.com | University of the Azores
Ricardo Cunha Teixeira | ricardo.ec.teixeira@uac.pt | NICA-UAc & FCT-UAc
SUMMARY
The way Mathematics is taught is crucial to the academic success or failure of many young people, which reinforces the importance of educators and teachers using different strategies to promote meaningful learning.
In this article, we aim to show how games can encourage children to engage in mathematical activities and thus create a natural predisposition to learn. We present different dimensions of Mathematics learning associated with experiences in a classroom through the application of games within the scope of the Master's Degree in Preschool Education and Primary Education, at the University of the Azores. Some of these games were adapted from existing games, while others were invented to meet the characteristics of the groups of children in the two internships carried out, one in preschool and the other in primary education. As a result of these multiple dimensions, we argue that games can contribute to rethinking the way learning is organized in the classroom, with clear advantages for promoting autonomy, showing that certain objectives can be achieved using games, objectives for which games are not usually considered.
In preschool, the games were implemented with children aged four to six. The internship took place between February and May 2012, in a classroom where the curriculum was created based on the teacher's proposals and the children's ideas. In turn, the games carried out in the 1st cycle of primary education, with children aged seven to ten, took place between September and December 2012, in a classroom that followed the Modern School Movement (MEM) model.
KEYWORDS
games; preschool; 1st cycle of primary education; mathematical processes; learning strategies; autonomy.
RELEVANT DATES
Published: 2013/12/21