Developing and using learning environments for geometric shapes -

Abstract

Developing and using learning environments for geometric shapes in early mathematics education

Early years (0 to 7 years)

In this workshop, we will discuss how children can be activated to recognise and visualise spatial relationships in their early years of mathematics education. We will analyse a specific learning environment example on geometric shapes which can be implemented in the first years of elementary school (children aged 6 to 7 years).

In this learning environment, we use the tangram puzzle and the properties of the seven pieces to introduce plane figures in early mathematics lessons. The learning environment follows a problem-solving-oriented approach that uses the sub-areas of spatial imagination to promote geometric thinking. In particular, the learning environment focuses on two sub-areas; spatial relationships and spatial visualisation. In this workshop, we will discuss the learning environment, analyse its different sections and provide a viewpoint on using geometric terms from the first grade onwards.

The topic will be introduced with the help of the picture book “Tangram Cat” to show how to integrate this into a specific lesson. We will also discuss using digital tools with mathematics didactic potential, in particular, we follow the “duos of artefacts” approach, which will be substantiated using the “Osmo Tangram” app.