Week 10 entry

Numeracy: Young children’s access to powerful mathematical ideas.

Literacy: Readers as text code breakers

I have chosen the two readings as they both explore the importance and provide readers with strategies has to how to play a part in a young child learning. The reading based around text coding provided questions and activities for the readers as to ways and how to read text codes. Text codes can be an important learning strategy for young children and as educators as we can provide and or identify through the use of text codes a child’s thoughts. I felt this corresponded well with the article based around young children and how important mathematics can be and how it can be incorporated through the child’s everyday living. Both articles expressed how adults could have a positive influence towards the child’s early learning of numeracy and literacy through both the notions of mathematics and text code breakers. The key message from both readings is the importance of mathematics and its ideas and explains how young children can access theses ideas. Furthermore the literacy reading based around text code breakers emphasizes the fact that they draw on a range of strategies as they decode, predict, confirm, self-correct, and monitor the sense the children are making from the in particular text. Through the process of text code breakers its focuses on the examining aspects of phonological awareness and development, and print and word awareness in relations to young children. An interesting aspect based around the element of mathematics in a young child’s early learning is that technology can be used as a learning tool to provide early numeracy learning. Therefore from the readings I can take this information and adapt it into my education theories as I now have a greater understanding around text code breaking and mathematics through technology and the peers around the child. In regards to the text code breaking as an educator I can either use it to provide an exercise for the young children and or I can use it as an examining tool towards the children. Along with the numeracy I can use the information to provide the child’s parents with some basic knowledge as to how there input can play a role in there child’s learning. I will also be able to adapt technology into educating the children early learning of numeracy through a range of systemic mathematical programs available for educators.  Overall both articles provided me with sufficient knowledge based around the early learning of numeracy and literacy for young children.

References:

Harris, P., Turbill, J., Fitzsimmons, P. & McKenzie, B. (2006). Readers as text code breakers, Reading in the Primary School years (pp. 114-158). South Melbourne: Social Science Press.

Perry, B., & Dockett, S. (2008). Young children’s access to powerful mathematical ideas. In L. D. English (Ed.), Handbook of international research in mathematics education (2^nd ed). NY: Routledge