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Task
In this assignment you will implement a clue sort activity one-on-one with two different children, preferably a preschooler (ages 3-4) and an early elementary child (ages 5-7). Be sure to completely follow the instructions for the activity.
The assignment is broken into four sections: 1) Materials, Procedure, and Evaluation, 2) Activity Summary, 3) Reflective Thoughts, and 4) Decision Making.
Section 1: Materials, Procedure, and Evaluation
Materials: 20 to 25 objects (or pictures of objects or cutouts) that can be grouped into several possible groups according to criteria such as color, shape, size, or category (for example, animals, plants, furniture, clothing, or toys).
Procedure: Set all the objects in front of the child in a random arrangement. Try the following types of prompts.
“Find some things that are [name a specific color, shape, size, material, pattern, function, or class].”
Hold up one object, picture, or cutout; say, “Find some things that belong with this.” After the choices are made, ask, “Why do these things belong together?”
Evaluation: Note whether the child makes a conventional logical group and provides a conventional logical reason such as “because they are cars”, “they are all green”, “you can eat with them.” Or do they have a creative reason that is logical to the child if not to the adult; for example: “I would like them”, “They all have points”, or “I like these colors, but I don’t like those.”
Activity Summary
The activity summary should include the following information in paragraph format.
A list the specific materials used in the activity.
What happened during the implementation? What did you do and say? What did the children do and say?
Compare the two children’s behaviors and skills; give the ages of the children.
Include as much detail as possible and note children’s responses, both positive and negative.
Reflective Thoughts
Think of this section as “talking out loud.”
Think about what your expectation was for the activity vs. what actually happened. Was the expectation(s) met? Ask yourself why? Analyze your activity and try to figure out what went wrong or why something worked so well.
Write some of your reflective thoughts and then describe what you learned about mathematics and young children by doing this activity.
Decision Making
After summarizing, inquiring, and analyzing your activity, you will come to some decisions about changes you want to make. Address each question:
How will you implement the activity differently next time?
How will you meet the needs of all children in the class?
How can you apply what you learned from the experience?
Struggling with where to start this assignment? Follow this guide to tackle your assignment easily!
Step 1: Organize Your Materials for the Activity To begin, gather 20 to 25 objects (or pictures/cutouts) that can be easily grouped according to criteria such as color, shape, size, or category. For example, you might use:
- Small toys (e.g., cars, dolls)
- Shapes (e.g., squares, circles)
- Household items (e.g., spoons, cups, plates)
- Animal pictures or cutouts
- Colored paper or blocks
- Items of varying sizes
These items will be placed randomly in front of the child during the activity.
Step 2: Conduct the Activity with Each Child Follow the steps provided to implement the sorting activity with each child:
- Set up the activity: Place the objects in front of the child in a random arrangement.
- Give prompts: Try different types of prompts such as:
- “Find some things that are [specific color, shape, size, material, etc.].”
- Hold up one object and say, “Find some things that belong with this.”
- Ask about the sorting logic: After the child makes their selections, ask, “Why do these things belong together?” Take note of their answers, whether conventional (e.g., “because they are all cars”) or creative (e.g., “I like these colors”).
Step 3: Write the Activity Summary In this section, you will summarize what happened during the activity:
- List the materials: Make sure to list the objects you used for sorting.
- Describe the interaction: What did you do? How did the children respond? Mention specific things they said or did during the activity.
- Compare the two children’s behavior: Discuss the age of the children and how their responses and skills differed. For example, did the preschooler give simpler answers or use more creative logic compared to the older child?
Step 4: Reflect on the Activity In the reflective thoughts section:
- Compare expectations vs. reality: Think about what you expected from the activity versus what actually happened. Did things go as planned? Why or why not?
- Analyze the activity: Reflect on how the children engaged with the task, and identify what worked well and what didn’t. What did you learn about the children’s thinking and mathematical development?
- Learn about mathematics and young children: Write about what this activity taught you regarding how young children learn and think about math concepts like sorting and categorization.
Step 5: Address Decision-Making and Future Changes After reflecting, consider how you will adapt the activity next time:
- How will you implement the activity differently next time?: Identify any changes you’d make to improve the activity based on your reflections.
- How will you meet the needs of all children in the class?: Think about how you can modify the activity to ensure all children, regardless of their age or skill level, can engage effectively with the activity.
- How can you apply what you learned from the experience?: Consider how this activity and your reflections will shape your approach to teaching math to young children in the future.
Step 6: Finalize and Submit After following these steps and writing each section, revise your work to ensure clarity, coherence, and adherence to the assignment instructions. Ensure you have met all the requirements for the Materials, Procedure, Evaluation, Activity Summary, Reflective Thoughts, and Decision-Making sections.
By following this guide, you’ll be able to structure your assignment methodically and provide thoughtful insights into the activity with the children. This will not only help you complete the assignment but also enhance your understanding of young children’s learning processes.