1. What are the main points of the article?
This article reveals how a preservice teacher was "able to take advantage of a situation on an April morning in prekindergarten. The main points of the article are to illustrate how children come to measure. It helps show how children may have clear ideas about what it means to use units when measuring length and how "the imcompleteness of their understanding of the formal properties of measurement units makes their exploration interesting."
The students all measured their snake using a different method. Some identified a use of units without knowing the type of unit while others identified the use that their snake was longer or shorter. The article illustrates how the students had experience with measuring and were therefore able to identify that something was used and were able to repeat their units and keep them more or less the same length while measuring. However, the article also makes the valid point that the students neglected to compare units of measurement. The students didn't notice that their units were different, but did notice that something was wrong. The students recognized that one child's snake was the longest but were confused because another student's snake measured to be longer than the snake that appeared to be the longest.
2. How does your article connect to early childhood?
This article connects to early childhood because it shows how children can generate interest to a solving a problem from the context of the problem itself. The article focuses on showing teachers the importance of attending to the problem solving strategies of young children. It helps teachers and others understand the importance of observing "the various learning trajectories through which children pass". In addition, the article helps teachers become more aware of children's mathematical thinking.
Teachers should understand the importance of a child's informal orgins of their first mathematical insights and the role that they play in the child's context of learning. The article helps teachers grasp the importance of being alert to learning opportuntities that may arise in the classroom. Teachers should listen to the mathematical discoveries made by students in the classroom so that he/she can build off of what is said and/or discovered.
Mathematical discoveries made within the classroom will help students in early childhood build off of previous knowledge so that the child can develop an understanding for mathematical processes that will be used in higher education.
3. What did you learn from the article that will help you as you teach measurement?
I learned that it is important to allow children to make their own discoveries about measurement and to allow students to generate their own thoughts and questions about measurement. In addition, I learned that it is important to take advantage of specific opportunities that may arise in the classroom for discussion. I began to understand that it is okay if a child doesn't understand and that as a teacher, we must become accustomed to attending to children's problem solving strategies.
When teaching measurement, it is important to build off of what children know and/or recognize. The teacher should scaffold when necessary but allow the student to think through the problem in an effort to solve the problem. In addition, it is important to recognize that a child's interests will lead them to other discoveries and insights. Provide children with different opportunities to explore measurement that will allow children to explore measurement through a different approach such as drawing shorter or longer lengths outside on the playground using chalk. This will help the teacher observe how the students approach a task they may be familiar with in a different context. This will also allow the teacher to scaffold during the process and attend to the problem-solving strategies of the student.
