Learning mathematics while playing
This essay from Kon te xis 81 is about "the importance of basic math skills in kindergarten in the context of academic success." For this purpose, our game authors of the mathematics series around MEMOnext, DOMInext and Joe's Zoo have discussed the importance of mathematics and the acquisition of basic mathematical skills in preschool.
Studies by the University of Oldenburg, for example, show:
"If kindergarten children are encouraged in math, this has positive effects right through to the end of primary school."
This means that basic mathematical education must be an important part
of early childhood education. Our authors refer here to the so-called
"basic mathematical skills", which include, for example, the recognition
of patterns, geometric shapes, sequences, classification or sorting, as
well as the acquisition of the basic numbers from 1 to 10. The
so-called simultaneous number acquisition, which is difficult to teach
in clichéd frontal teaching, is particularly important here. An
alternative to this is the playful approach, for example in everyday
life.
Based on these findings, our authors (Gerhard Friedrich,
Felix Friederich-Schiefer and Lara Schiefer) have developed three games
to promote basic mathematical skills.
The link to the complete essay can be found here.