Chapter 2: Exploring What It Is to Teach and Do Mathematics

Reading Reflections

Moving on to Chapter 2, I was amazed by the explanation given about the co-relation between science and mathematics. While one is a process of finding out or making sense, the other is the science of concepts and processes that have pattern and logical order. Therefore, mathematics learning is the process of finding and exploring the patterns and order, and then making sense of them.

I am greatly motivated by this statement by Van de Walle, Karp & Bay-Williams, 2010 that states, “Even the youngest schoolchildren can and should be involved in the science of pattern and order.” However, my biggest challenge would be to find out how I could teach children doing mathematics and engaging them in the science of pattern and order. As far as I could recall my younger days of learning mathematics, often I could not see these patterns and logical order nor find meanings. The hardest and most inefficient way for me to learn mathematics was then by memorization and that had resulted in me struggling to understand the concepts as they became more difficult.

In order to develop the life-long learning for children in the twenty-first century, it is mentioned that besides providing materials and activities for children’s exploration, children have to be engaged in a higher-level thinking when teachers pose questions using mathematical verbs such as compare, explain and describe that encourage children to make connections and understand the mathematics they are exploring.

With reference to children’s learning styles, teachers should continuously provide opportunities for them to connect ideas and build new knowledge. Children are actively participating in mathematics discussions where they reflect and learn through the errors they make.