Building Areas
An area in the Kindergarten classroom should be designated where students can build and construct what they choose using materials such as large wooden blocks, lego pieces, unifix cubes, and so on. Through play-based learning, a building centre allows students to begin asking questions about their structures such as how can they make sure it is stable, why certain shaped blocks may better to use for a particular structure (such as a rectangular shaped block rather than a triangle, depending on the situation), how to make a smooth surface, building and comparing longer and smaller, and shorter and higher structures, similarities and differences between the geometrical properties of 2-D and 3-D shapes, creating a pattern with blocks including AB, ABB, ABC patterns, and so forth. With blocks Kindergarten students can also develop an understanding of how high their structure is, how much higher than someone else's structure, or how many more blocks they may need, and so on (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2006, p. 55). According to the Ontario Ministry of Education's A Guide to Effective Instruction in Mathematics, Kindergarten to Grade 6, within the building area, students can learn about "patterning, measurement including linear, volume, mass, area, and perimeter" (2006, p. 56). At building areas students should be given the opportunity to build and create structures from various objects such as wooden blocks, coloured cubes, base ten blocks, relational rods, colour tiles, marble runs, pattern blocks, plastic cups, lids, containers, etc. (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2006, p. 58).
Tiut, P. 2017
Tiut, P. 2017
Craft Area
Tiut, P. 2017
A craft centre is important to promote mathematical inquiry and understanding as it gives a student the opportunity to experience hands-on learning of mathematical concepts. Students can explore symmetry through drawing, folding paper, and cutting and pasting. Students can create their own math manipulatives such as a bead ruler. Finally, students at the crafting area can experiment with creating 2-D shapes, such as triangles, squares, rectangles, circles, and examining their various attributes in order to sort and classify them (such as by their number of sides).
Dramatic Play Area
Orazietti, C. (2013). Bakery Dramatic Play Center for Preschool or Kindergarten. [Online Image]. Retrieved from http://teacheasyresources.blogspot.ca/2016/04/bakery-dramatic-play-center-for.html.
Orazietti, C. (2013). Bakery Dramatic Play Center for Preschool or Kindergarten. [Online Image]. Retrieved from http://teacheasyresources.blogspot.ca/2016/04/bakery-dramatic-play-center-for.html.
A dramatic play area can be used to introduce number sense and numeration money concepts when creating some type of play store such as a pizza restaurant or store. Depending on the theme used in the dramatic play area students could experiment with menus, signs, money, maps, tickets, luggage, telephones, calendar, clocks, cookbook, etc. (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2006, p. 58). Students can make connections to math in all these everyday items. For example, students begin to count coins and paper money and begin to discover the concept of each coin or paper bill having its own numerical value attached to it. Teachers can expand student understanding by introducing them to counting not only by ones but also skip counting. Also, concepts of addition and subtraction can also be introduced to students using money amounts at a dramatic play centre. By playing store, students can also explore geometry in the different 3-D shapes that exist (such as containers, boxes, soup cans, to name a few) (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2006, p. 55). According to the Ontario Ministry of Education's A Guide to Effective Instruction in Mathematics, Kindergarten to Grade 6, within the dramatic play area, students can learn about "comparing, number concepts, spatial concepts, problem-solving, and mathematical language" (2006, p. 56).
Water Exploration Area
Cox, K. 2017. Pouring Water. [Online Image]. Retrieved from https://www.prekinders.com/sensory-table/.
Cox, K. 2017. Pouring Water. [Online Image]. Retrieved from https://www.prekinders.com/sensory-table/.
A water table centre is a great place for students to explore measurement concepts such as capacity, by experimenting with how many small cups is needed to fill a large container with water for example. Students should be provided with a variety of objects such as measuring spoons, cups, graduated cylinders, containers, shovels, as well as counting objects such as toy animals, people, etc. (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2006, p. 58). According to the Ontario Ministry of Education's A Guide to Effective Instruction in Mathematics, Kindergarten to Grade 6, within a water exploration area, students can learn about counting, measurement, such as capacity, balance, symmetry, and so on (2006, p. 56).
Sand Investigation Area
A sand and/or sensory bin is yet another centre that can be used to aid in developing students' mathematical understanding in Kindergarten. Students can be provided with a variety of objects similar to the water exploration area such as measuring spoons, cups, graduated cylinders, containers, shovels, as well as counting objects such as toy animals, people, etc. (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2006, p. 58). For example, objects could be scattered throughout this bin and students will begin to naturally explore number concepts such as counting, subitizing, adding and subtracting when searching for these items, both independently and in small groups. According to the Ontario Ministry of Education's A Guide to Effective Instruction in Mathematics, Kindergarten to Grade 6, within the Sand investigation area, students can learn about "sorting, classifying, ordering, estimating, and counting" (2006, p. 56).
The Elementary Math Maniac. 2016. Measuring Sand. [Online Image]. Retrieved from http://theelementarymathmaniac.blogspot.ca/2016/01/hands-on-fraction-fun.html.
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