Here, we have tried to present some of the different thinking and learning processes of preschool and primary school children, in the context of mathematics learning. We have specifically focused on:
1) How children attempt to build their understanding of early mathematical concepts. In particular,
i) The interactions of a child with materials and with other people forms an important basis of learning. And children are doing it all the time.
Therefore, they're learning all the time, unless we stop them by interfering!
ii) Acquisition of knowledge and parroting expected information is not the same thing.
2) The ways in which children construct knowledge.
3) Individual differences in children.
4) The concept of mathematics readiness.
5) The importance of self-esteem for the cognitive development of a child.
6) The different stages that preschool and primary school children undergo in developing their understanding of mathematical thinking.
7) The fact that development can be facilitated by exposing younger children to various real-life situations that involve the use of mathematical concepts, but it certainly cannot be pushed. Any attempt to hurry children can lead to a serious loss of self-confidence.
And now, you may like to go back to the objectives listed, to see if you feel that you've achieved them. You may also like to go through the following section in which we have given some hints and suggestions about most of the exercises in the unit.