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Mathematics Didactics - Assignment 1
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ASSIGNMENT 1THE IMPORTANCE OF PLAY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MATHEMATICAL CONCEPTS
IN THE GRADE R CLASSROOM
IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT
OF THE REQUIREMENTS IN POST GRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN EDUCATION
(FOUNDATION PHASE) (PGCE FP)
FOR
MATHEMATICS DIDACTICS (ED4-MATH2C) (FP)
AT
CORNERSTONE INSTITUTE
BY
SHANNON JADE SCHOFIELD
(50393)
26 July 2021
, TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION
2. A CONSTRUCTIVIST APPROACH TO TEACHING AND LEARNING
3. REQUIREMENTS FOR DEVELOPING MATHEMATIC SKILLS
3.1 PHYSICAL KNOWLEDGE
3.2 SOCIAL KNOWLEDGE
3.3 CONCEPTUAL KNOWLEDGE
4. THE IMPORTANCE OF PLAY IN THE HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT OF LEARNERS
5. A PLAY-BASED APPROACH TO LEARNING MATHEMATICS IN GRADE R
6. CONCLUSION
REFERENCE LIST
2
, 1. INTRODUCTION
The 21st-century learner is growing up in a complex world faced with many challenges such
as climate change, overpopulation, and a global pandemic. To thrive in this everchanging
world, learners will need a different set of skills and competencies than in the past. As
educators, we need to equip the next generation of learners with the skills and knowledge
needed to become innovative thinkers, problem solvers, and creatives who can work
collaboratively to face the world's challenges. According to Naudé & Meier (2018: 4)
becoming numerate is key to developing these skills as well as an important factor in
becoming an empowered global citizen who can effectively navigate and understand the
world in a meaningful way. This essay will explore how a play-based approach to teaching
and learning supports the development of emergent numeracy skills and mathematical
concepts in the Grade R classroom. A better understanding of the importance of play in the
development of the holistic learner will be gained.
2. A CONSTRUCTIVIST APPROACH TO TEACHING AND LEARNING
An important theory that still informs education today is Constructivism and is concerned
with how children develop, acquire knowledge, and understand the world around them.
There are several prominent educationalists that have supported this theory and expanded
on it, such as Jean Piaget, Maria Montessori, and Lev Vygotsky. Constructivism posits that
knowledge, for instance of mathematics is not gained through direct instruction of how to add
and subtract but is rather gained innately through the construction of knowledge and lived
experiences of learners who themselves play, manipulate, and experiment with objects in
their environment (Zwaal and Otting, 2012, as cited in Naudé & Meier, 2018: 8).
This is emphasized in the work of Jean Piaget and Maria Montessori who thought learning
should take place through hands-on concrete experiences that promote discovery,
playfulness, and curiosity as well as actively engage learners and their senses in what they
are learning so that they can internalize their experiences, thereby constructing their own
unique ideas and deepening their understanding of different concepts (Naudé & Meier,
2018: 8). Based on this premise Maria Montessori created specific materials to be used in an
organized learning environment that would support all areas of learning, including
mathematics and her work continues to inspire many educators and schools around the
world to follow her principle of freedom to explore, freedom to learn.
Vygotsky on the other hand extended the traditional view of Constructivism in that he viewed
knowledge as something gained not only within us but through shared experiences and
interaction with others in our environment such as our family, teachers, and peers (Naudé &
Meier, 2018: 10).
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