444 Mathematics In Early Childhood And Elementary Schools (3)
The course prepares teachers who can create a learning environment in which
mathematical concepts are drawn from and modeled within the child's active
investigation of his or her own surroundings and views of the world. The
emphasis is upon mathematics as a sense-making tool through which observation,
action, classification, ordering, seeking patterns and common features, and
testing of ideas come together to organize experiences and solve problems in
the immediate environment. Stress is placed on methods and materials to make
mathematics learning active and hands-on. A variety of materials, physical
models, and tools are studied in terms of the way they can be used to help
children explore, develop and test ideas, construct meaning, and communicate
ideas.