MATHEMAT

ICS IN THE
PRIMARY
GRADES
OBJECTIVES
DESCRIDE THE
IMPORTANCE OF
MATHEMATICS
IN THE
PRIMARY
GRADES
 INTRODUCTIO
N
MATHEMATICS IN THE PRIMARY
GRADES LAYS THE FOUNDATIONS NOT
ONLY OF MATHEMATICS CONTENT BUT
ALSO OF LIFE SKILLS ESSENTIAL IN THE
21st CENTURY. THIS LESSON BRIEFLY
DISCUSSES THE CHARACTERISTIC OF
CHILDREN IN THE PRIMARY GRADES
AND THE IMPORTANCE OF TEACHING
MATHEMATICS AT THIS LEVEL.
 THINK!
CONTRARY TO THE COMMON
ASSUMPTION THAT MATH IS DIFFICULT,
ESPECIALLY FOR THE CHILDREN, YOUNG
LEARNERS ACTUALLY TEND TO ENJOY
AND APPRECIATE MATH. CHILDREN
NATURALLY FIND WONDER IN PATTERNS
AND TAKE DELIGHT IN CHALLENGING
PUZZLES.
THEREFOR, IT IS IMPORTANT TO HARNESS
THIS INNATE LOVE FOR MATHEMATICAL
PROCEDURES TO DEVELOP A POSITIVE
DISPOSITION TOWARD MATH.
THIS CAN BE DONE BY PREPARING
ACTIVITIES THAT BRIDGE THE
ABSTRACT CONCEPTS OF MATHEMATICS
TO THE CONCRETE WORLD THAT THE
CHILDREN KNOW ABOUT. AS A TEACHER,
YOUR ROLE IS TO CREATE AN ENGAGING
AND ENCOURAGING ENVIRONTMENT
FOR YOUNG LEARNERS TO THRIVE IN.
EVEN BEFORE CHILDREN ENTER
FORMAL SCHOOLING, THEY ALREADY
HAVE INTUITIVE AND INFORMAL
UNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT NUMBERS AND
SHAPES. AS THEY ENTER SCHOOL, THEY
BEGIN TO FORMALLY LEARN CONCEPT
OF NUMBERS AND THE OPERATIONS
THAT GOVERN THEM.
IN THE PHILIPPINES, PRIMARY GRADES
REFER TO KINDER UNTIL GRADE 3.
GENERALLY, PRIMARY GRADES
COMPLETERS ARE EXPECTED TO HAVE
A GOOD SENSE OF NUMBERS, PERFORM
SINGLE OPERATIONS LIKE ADDITION
AND SUBTRACTION.
HAVE THE CAPACITY TO PROGRESS FROM
USING PHYSICAL EXAMPLES AND WRITTEN
CALCULATIONS TO CARRYING OUT
OPERATIONS MENTALLY, AND HAVE THE
ABILITY TO IDENTIFY PROPER STRATEGIES
AND TECHNIQUES NEEDED TO COME TO
CONCLUSIONS AND CARRY OUT CACULATIONS
WHEN SOLVING MATHEMATICAL PROBLEMS.
IN THE SUCCEEDING LESSONS, YOU WILL
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CONTENT OF THE
MATHEMATICS CURICCULUM IN THE
PHILIPPINES.
SOME EXPERTS ARGUE ON WHETHER IT IS
AHEALTHY PRACTICE TO START FORMALLY
TEACHING MATH AT AN EARLY AGE. THEY
POINT OUT THAT CHILDREN MAY NOT YET
BE DEVELOPMENTALLY PREPARED TO
LEARN ABSTRACT CONCEPTS.

.
JEAN PIAGET(1963), A SWISS
PSYCHOLOGIST KNOWN FOR HIS
THEORY ON CHILDREN’S
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT,
BELIEVED THAT CHILDREN’S
DEVELOPMENT, BELIEVE THAT
CHILDREN DEVELOPMENT STAGES
IN COGNITION WERE DONE
THROUGH STAGES OF THOUGHT
PROCESS.
SENSORIMOTOR, PREOPERATIONAL,
CONCRETE OPERATIONAL, AND
FORMAL OPERATIONAL. THESE STAGES
SUGGEST THAT THE IDEA OF NUMBERS
CAN BE ALREADY LEARNED BY
CHILDREN AT AN EARLY AGE.
THOSE WHO PURSUE TEACHING MATHEMATICS IN THE
PRIMARY GRADES HAVE THE FOLLOWING ARGUMENTS:
1. LEARNERS FIND MATHEMATICS RELEVANT IN
EVERYDAY LIFE_ TELLING TIME, HANDLING MONEY,
MEASURING OBJECTS, ETC.
2. TEACHING MATH IN THE PRIMARY GRADES PROVIDES
OPPURTUNITIES FOR CHILDREN TO DEVELOP THEIR
THINKING SKILLS AS THEY SOLVE PROBLEMS. THESE
SKILLS WHICH INCLUDE REASONING AND CREATIVE
THINKING ARE IMPORTANT IN UPPER-GRADE MATH
AND IN LIFE; AND
3. NUMEROUS RESEARCHER HAVE PROVEN THAT THE
MATHEMATICAL ABILITY OF CHILDREN IN THE EARLY
GRADES PREDICTS THEIR PERFORMANCE NOT IN
HIGHER LEVEL MATHEMATICS BUT ALSO IN READING.
 EXPERIENCE
TEACHERS CAN DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT
EFFECTIVE LESSONS ONLY WHEN THEY KNOW
THEIR LEARNERS. FOLLOWING ARE THE
GENERAL CHARACTERISTIC OF LEARNERS THAT
YOU CAN EXPECT WHEN YOU ENTER A PRIMARY
GRADE CLASSROOM.
PHYSICAL EXTREMELY ACTIVE AND
ENJOYS PHYSICAL
ACTIVITIES
SOCIAL BEGINNING TO HAVE A
CHOICE OF FRIENDS BUT
FREQUENTLY QUARRELS
WITH THEM
EMOTIONAL BECOMING SENSITIVE TO
CRITICISM AND OTHERS
FEELINGS; EAGER TO PLEASE
THE TEACHER
COGNITIVE SEES PATTERNS, ENGAGES IN
PROBLEM-SOLVING
ACTIVITIES, LEARNS A LOT