Numeracy: Promoting the Development of Young Children’s mathematical and analogical reasoning. Literacy: Talk to Me Baby! Supporting Language Development in the First 3 Years.

Readings:

Numeracy: Promoting the Development of Young Children’s mathematical and analogical reasoning.

Literacy: Talk to Me Baby! Supporting Language Development in the First 3 Years.

I was extremely interested in the article based around promoting the development of young children’s mathematical and analogical reasoning as they addressed an interesting study based around a “challenging” approach instead of a “play”, and “drill” approach where children will generally complete workbook activities and work sheets. Therefore the “challenging” approach intrigued me as throughout my experience with educators and their teaching approach, I have analyzed that a lot of them base education and learning around work sheets and the use of workbooks.  From this point it lead into the reading based around supporting young children in there first 3 years of age of there language development as I felt the two articles could intertwine. I chose this article as it leads to address the aspect of how important talking with young children is at a young age and how beneficial it can be towards the development of the child’s language.  I felt both articles provided studies and strategies, which could provide a future educator like me with a quality base of knowledge.

The challenging approach involved children to be engaged in significant and intellectually engaging mathematic activities, which provides a early learning of rich numeracy for young children. I felt this related with the importance of the early learning of literacy through the use of communication around children at the age of birth to 3 years old. They both express the learning of numeracy and literacy through engaging and interactive strategies. As stated many educated numeracy through the use of work sheets and books along with many believe that talking toys and or videos can be the best strategies for the development of early literacy. However as stated within the article numeracy through the “challenging” approach can provide a rich and fun environment for the development of numeracy, which they have specifically describe through the learning and development of mathematics. Furthermore the development of early language can be best developed through the process of educators and adults talking to babies. Through the use of communication it promotes rich language acquisition for babies and young children aged birth to 3 years old.

The two articles based around numeracy and literacy provided me as a future educator with knowledge based around strategies and appropriate approaches to use to provide young children with a rich numeracy and literacy learning. Furthermore I will implement the knowledge into my practice through the use of the challenging approach where I will provide the young children with activities, which provide a challenge, and to allow them to learn through a challenging activity however it will still provide a fun-learning environment for the young children. Furthermore I now understand the importance of communication with young children and babies, which will allow me to explore and emphasize more one on one-communication activities with babies and young children within learning centers.

References:

Bardige, B. & Bardige, M. (2008). Talk to me, baby! Supporting language development in the first 3 years. Zero to Three, September, 4-10.

English, L. D. (2004). Promoting the development of young children’s mathematical and analogical reasoning. In L. D. English (Ed.), Mathematical and analogical reasoning of young learners (201-214). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.