Thursday, March 15, 2012

What Children Need to Be Able to Count


John looks at the spread on the dining table and says cheerfully, "There are sixteen green apples."

For John to be able to say this, he needs to (1) have an awareness that numbers can be use to tell amount (use of numbers as cardinal numbers) (2) be able to recite numbers, at least to sixteen, in the correct order (3) be able to perform one-to-one correspondence (4) be able to classify.

Anyway, a friend just told a (real) conversation that happened recently.

My friend: I went to the IT Show at Suntec and got myself iPad2. My friend got iPad3.

His colleague: So you guys got 5 iPads lah.

My friend: Huh?! No lah. Just two.

His colleague: I thought you said you got iPad, two and your friend got iPad, three. Five altogether, what.

:) One is using number as a cardinal number and the other, as an ordinal number.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Degree Programme at SIM University

The course begins this Wednesday. We will discuss theory, practice and issues connected to the teaching of mathematics, science and technology to young children.

The class will meet for six Wednesdays.

You have your textbook. The study guide helps you focus your readings. The seminars clarify and extend your learning.

Each seminars is organised around around case studies to facilitate discussion.

Seminar 1/6 on 14 March 2012