The Math Classroom Environment

     In the Kindergarten classroom, mathematics can be everywhere. Students engage in constant inquiry-based and play-based learning which is a wonderful avenue in which to foster math talk and the development of math critical-thinking skills. Through exploration and investigation students in Kindergarten can examine a wide variety of math concepts through a number of means and begin to make connections to their own personal experiences and in a real-world context.

     This blog hopes to generate useful information for teachers in creating a Kindergarten classroom environment which promotes math inquiry. Several aspects of the classroom environment will be examined in order to answer some of these questions, including:

• How should the classroom arranged?
• What manipulatives can be used for teaching math and how will they be used?
• What technology and computer software can be used? 
• What are some examples of Learning Centres students can engaged in?
• Where is the teacher and how does he or she foster guided mathematics?
• How does the math environment foster inquiry-based learning?