Early Childhood - Connecticut State Department of Education

Mathematics Chapter 6
Teacher Strategies:
Geometry
Provide numerous opportunities to touch, feel and
describe shapes.
Provide specific materials that engage children in
geometric concepts.
Provide opportunities for children to use their bodies
to understand space and directionality concepts.
Use vocabulary to locate and describe: in, on top of,
on the side, in between.
(Clements and Sarama, 2001; NCTM, 2000; Bredekamp and Rosengrant, 1995.)
Measurement
Performance Standards
• Use common instruments to measure things.
• Use equipment for investigation.
• Compare and contrast objects and events.
Measurement involves:
• understanding length, width, distance and
time;
• placing objects in a series; and
• being able to classify and compare objects.
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Suggested Experiences
Locate and compare shapes found in the
environment.
(Problem solving, reasoning)
Play mystery-bag games where children can reach in
to feel, manipulate and describe shapes.
(Problem solving)
Encourage children to describe their building and art
creations using positional and shape vocabulary.
(Communicating)
Provide attribute blocks, pattern blocks, tanagrams
and large, sturdy geoboards.
(Problem solving, Representing)
Play music and movement games such as a direction
game with large cardboard boxes.
(Problem solving)
Provide motivation for comparative discussions such
as this blue square is as big as the front of this blue
box.
(Reasoning, Communicating)
Children love to compare, to see who has more,
who can jump the farthest, and who can build the tallest
building. The ability to grasp concepts of time and
distance is based on children’s experiences and cognitive
development. Children may think, for example, that
it took a long time to get there so it must be far away.
A long time ago, may mean yesterday (Singer and
Revenson, 1978). The goal for preschool children is to
come to understand measurement by thinking about
size and comparing lengths, weights and amounts.
Making accurate measurements is not the objective.
Early childhood teachers must carefully observe and
interact with children while the children explore. Over
time, multiple and varied experiences help children
gradually develop measurement concepts.