Development of mathematical concepts form part of the fabric of everyday experiences in the Early Childhood Program. From counting out children or books to measuring lengths of sticks, finding shapes in the environment or building towers with blocks, students are engaged in mathematical concept development throughout their day. While many concepts are developed through either free or guided play, others are introduced through the classroom structures by the teacher. Stories, number songs and rhymes all contribute to students building number sense and offer an opportunity to build mathematical concepts and understandings.
Students construct mathematical meaning about the world around them through interacting with it. They naturally sort objects, look for patterns, and count and build things – all rich mathematical concepts. Teachers facilitate guided inquiry opportunities for students to sort and classify; use a variety of data handling tools such as tables and simple graphs and; discuss concepts of measurement. They use both 2D and 3D shapes and gain understanding of their properties through concrete experience and creative application. They also learn to recognize, create and extend patterns; develop concepts relating to measurement; and explore a range of spatial relationships.
Throughout their Early Childhood experience, students develop an understanding of whole numbers using concrete materials, including concepts of one-to-one correspondence, counting, cardinality, and comparison. They develop an understanding of the meanings of whole numbers and recognize the number of objects in small groups by counting.
Instructional time in each grade level focuses on critical areas of deep conceptual understanding and procedural fluency. The Kindergarten curriculum meets the standards of the Lehrplan 21.