LEARNING MATHEMATICS

THEIR WAY
How Children Learn Math:
The Concept of Number
(Operations)

Community of Learners
Foundation
Is Arithmetic = Mathematics ?
Arithmetic is the study of numbers.

Mathematics is a way of thinking in

logical or organized way.

*Math is not a subject or a set of facts that needs to be

memorized for a test. Math involves solving problems.

Community of Learners
Foundation
 THE FOUNDATION:
COUNTING
Understanding of arithmetic
evolves from children’s early
counting experiences.

Informal concept of addition

(adding more) and
subtraction (taking away
something) guide children’s
efforts to construct informal
arithmetic procedures.

Community of Learners
Foundation
 ADDITION as an OBJECTIVE
When knowing ‘facts’ is the objective, children are
taught techniques to get ‘facts’ and are drilled to
internalize them. (traditional addition)

When a child learns to add quantities by using his own

logic, repeats the same action every day in interaction
with other people (e.g. while at play), he will inevitably
remember the result, without adult pressure.

Community of Learners
Foundation
 SUBTRACTION as an
OBJECTIVE
The objective in subtraction, as in addition,
should be to encourage children to think and to
remember results of their own thinking.

Once children have constructed sums and have

committed them to memory, they are able to
express this knowledge in subtraction.

Community of Learners
Foundation
 THE LOGIC OF
ADDITION & SUBTRACTION
The understanding of addition and
subtraction involves:

1. the logic of inclusion

2. reversibility of thought

Community of Learners
Foundation
The Concept of Three
(Concept Level)
“Ilang kulisap ang
nasa kaliwang
kamay?
Ilang kulisap ang nasa
kanang kamay?
Ilan lahat ng kulisap?”
Hand Game

Community of Learners
Foundation
The Concept of Three
(Concept Level)
“Ilang kulisap ang
nasa ibabaw ng
mangkok?
Ilang kulisap ang nasa
ilalim ng mangkok?
Ilan lahat ng kulisap?”
Lift the Bowl

Community of Learners
Foundation
 The Concept of Three
(Concept Level)
“Ilang kulisap ang
nasa labas ng
bahay?
Ilang kulisap ang nasa
loob ng bahay?
Ilan lahat ng kulisap?”

Peek Thru The Wall

Community of Learners
Foundation
Stages of Concept Development

Level Teacher … Children …

Concept ... tells number ... manipulate
Level
stories or gives concrete
verbal instructions materials
(in the mother
tongue)

Community of Learners
Foundation
 Stages of Concept Development
Level Teacher … Children …
Connecting ... continues to give ... continue to
Level verbal instructions or tell manipulate concrete
number stories materials

... introduces writes ... read

mathematical symbols mathematical
(e.g. numerals) symbols

... introduces
mathematical language
(e.g. number words in
English)

Community of Learners
Foundation
 The Concept of Three
(Connecting Level)
“Anong numero ang ilalagay
mo sa kaliwang kamay?

Anong numero ang ilalagay

mo sa kanang kamay?

Basahin natin ang nakasulat

sa counting mat.”

Hand Game

Community of Learners
Foundation
The Concept of Three
(Connecting Level)
“Anong numero ang ilalagay
sa ibabaw ng mangkok?

Anong numero ang ilalagay

sa ilalim ng mangkok?

Basahin natin ang nakasulat

sa counting mat.”

Lift the Bowl

Community of Learners
Foundation
 The Concept of Three
(Connecting Level)
“Anong numero ang ilalagay
sa labas?

Anong numero ang ilalagay

loob?

Basahin natin ang nakasulat

sa counting mat.”

Peek Thru The Wall

Community of Learners
Foundation
Stages of Concept Development
Level Teacher … Children …
Symbolic Level ... continues to give verbal ... continue to
instructions or tell number manipulate concrete
stories materials

… introduces and writes ... continue to read

more mathematical symbols
symbols (e.g. +  =)
... begin to record or
… introduces more write symbols
mathematical language
(e.g. plus, minus, equals)

Community of Learners
Foundation
 Hand Game worksheet

Community of Learners
Foundation
Lift the Bowl worksheet

Community of Learners
Foundation
Peek Thru the Wall worksheet
Community of Learners
Foundation
 More Counting:
Counting Groups
“May 2 lababo sa
kusina.
Sa bawa’t lababo ay
maroong tig-4 na
maruruming plato.
Ilang plato lahat ang
Beginning Multiplication kailangang
(Concept Level)
hugasan?”

Community of Learners
Foundation
BEGINNINNG MULTIPLICATION
• The process of multiplication requires
children to think about and count groups
of objects rather than single objects.

• Terms such as stacks of, rows of, groups

of, and NOT ‘times’, help children think
and visualize problems

Community of Learners
Foundation
 More Counting:
Counting Groups
“Mayroong 10 upuan
at 2 mesa sa hardin.
Ilang upuan ang
maaring ilagay sa
bawa’t mesa?”

Beginning Division
(Concept Level)

Community of Learners
Foundation
 BEGINNING DIVISION
Two situations that call for division:
1. The grouping process is the dividing of a quantity
of objects into smaller groups of a particular size to
determines the number of groups that can be
made.

2. The sharing process is the dividing of a quantity of

objects into a particular number of groups to
determine the number of objects in each group.

Community of Learners
Foundation
 The Logic of
Multiplication and Division
The understanding of multiplication (and
division) involves:
1. an understanding of the one-to-one
correspondence or equivalence of two or
more sets (multiplicative equivalence)
2. reversibility of thought

Community of Learners
Foundation
 More Number Concepts
(Multiplication- Connecting Level)
Sinks Plates in All plates
each sink
2 3
2 2
2 4
2 1
2 5

Community of Learners
Foundation
 More Number Concepts
(Division - Connecting Level)
Chairs Tables Chairs in Remainder
each table
8 2
7 2
4 2
6 2
9 2

Community of Learners
Foundation
 COORDINATED
ACTION ON OBJECTS

ONE-to-ONE SERIAL CLASS

CORRESPONDENCE ORDER INCLUSION

CONSERVATION ORDINAL CARDINAL

NUMBER NUMBER

MULTIPLICATION ADDITION
DIVISION SUBTRACTION

NUMBER

Community of Learners
Foundation
 ARITHMETIC  RULES
Arithmetic should not be
taught as a series of rules
because:
• Rules are easy to forget
• Rules minimize thinking.
• Rules prevent visualizing
relationships.
• Rules do not work well for
problem-solving
2nd grade students selling potato
balls at the curriculum fair

Community of Learners
Foundation
 EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS
1. Develop a solid base (informal understanding)
before introducing written symbolism.
2. Structure informal calculational experiences to
promote discovery.
3. Help children see that formal symbolism is an
explicit expression of their informal knowledge.
4. Sequence formal mathematics to exploit children’s
informal knowledge.

Community of Learners
Foundation
THERE ARE NO SHORT
CUTS TO LEARNING
MATH

Community of Learners
Foundation
 References:
• Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. The Brain and Mathematics. Association
for Supervision and Curriculum Development Press, Alexandria, Virginia, 2001.
• Baratta-Lorton, Mary. Mathematics Their Way. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Menlo Park,
California, 1976.
• Baratta-Lorton, Robert. Mathematics a Way of Thinking. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company,
Menlo Park, California, 1977.
• Baroody, Arthur. Children’s Mathematical Thinking. A Developmental Framework for Preschool,
Primary and Special Education Teachers. Teachers College Press, New York, 1987.
• Burns, Marilyn. About Teaching Mathematics, a K-8 Resource, 2nd edition. Math Solutions
Publications, Sausalito, California, 2000.
• Copeland, Richard. How Children Learn Mathematics. Teaching Implications of Piaget’s Research.
MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc. 1979
• Hohmann, Mary and David P. Weikart. Educationg Young Children. Activve Learning Practices for
Preschool and Child Care Programs. High Scope Press, Ypsilanti, Michigan, 1995.
• Kamii, Constance Kazuko. Young Children Reinvent Arithmetic. Implication of Piaget’s Theory.
Teachers College Press, New York, New York, 1984.
• Moomaw, Sally and Brenda Hieronymus. More Than Counting, Whole Math Activities for
Preschool and Kindergarten. Redleaf Press, St.Paul, MN. 1995.
• Sousa, David. How the Brain Learns Mathematics. Corwin Press, California. 2008
• Stenmark, Jean Kerr, Virginia Thompson and Ruth Cassey. Family Math. Regents, University of
California, 1986.

Community of Learners
Foundation