Creating Learning Environments
A Description of the Math Center
Math centers are learning areas in a classroom that assist learners in understanding and practicing math skills that they had learned through hands-on activities in a practical manner. Lundqvist et al. (2022) assert that math centers allow learners to see and understand how mathematics works physically instead of just learning it from a textbook or hearing it. The math center will be located in the right corner of the class, away from distractions and the window. It will have various things such as plastic shapes, counters to dice, sticks, and number charts, among others. In addition, I will ensure these materials help students learn numerous skills and improve them by completing different activities. All these activities are essential for students to attain their mathematical education. Finally, I will ensure the center is spacious with a desk, chair, and carpet to enable children to learn in whichever position they desire. The math center will also have colorful mathematics wall drawings, patterns, or numbers to put the children into the mathematical mood. Therefore, this assignment will develop a maths center for four-year-old children based on its description, ways it enhances a child’s development, the necessary attributes to consider, and the materials to be included. Do you need urgent assignment help ? Get in touch with us at eminencepapers.com.
Enhancing Children’s Development
Math centers enhance children’s development in diverse ways. First, math centers help children to develop their thinking and cognitive skills. Santos et al. (2021) affirm that maths centers assist children in understanding what is happening around them while also developing their mathematical skills. As a result, children will become knowledgeable and improve their ability to share various ways of solving mathematical problems while expanding their thinking and cognitive skills. Lundqvist et al. (2022) also say practicing maths is a source of brain exercise, enabling children to build on their mental and cognitive prowess. Consequently, learners can ideate, understand the effect and cause process, and develop their analytical expertise.
Secondly, math centers help in developing children’s fine motor skills. Fine motor skills are the coordination between the child’s small muscles (like the fingers, wrists, and hands) and eyes. Therefore, using small body muscles enables different functions in a learner, like grasping toys or objects, fastening clothing, and writing. McClelland & Cameron (2019) affirm that using a maths center in preschool classes assists children in developing proper coordination of their muscles with their eyes, plus maths processing skills such as sorting and counting, communicating, reasoning, and connecting. Such practical learning opportunities at the math center will help the child in their daily life and prepare them to learn more progressive mathematical concepts as they continue studying.
Finally, math centers can positively impact learners’ confidence, performance, autonomy, and comprehension. Within a maths class or center, the feelings that learners experience are often linked directly to their level of understanding and, thus, to their academic success (Santos et al., 2021). Engaging in maths activities such as playing games and counting encourages mistake-making, which ultimately helps in improving the learner’s confidence and love for mathematics.
Attributes Making the Maths Center an Effective Center
In early childhood classes, creating a joyful and effective place for learners to have fun learning about maths and enabling them to grasp basic math concepts is vital. Therefore, a center has several attributes that will make it effective for maths learning. The first one is the decision of the location and size of the maths center. The classroom size determines the size and location of the center, the total number of learning centers the teacher desires to incorporate in a class, the number of learners in a class, and the number of children needed in the center at a time (Shkhaliyeva, 2022). Therefore, for the math center to be effective, it will be spacious enough to accommodate 2-3 learners at a time. This will be effective for learners to fully take time and understand what they have to do within the learning center.
The second attribute is keeping material organized with labeled storage containers. The material used in the maths center should consist of several pieces that are easy to lose and hard to stay together (Lundqvist et al., 2022). Therefore, using storage containers is a simple way of keeping counters, pattern blocks, play money, and other small items properly arranged or organized. In addition, the containers will be labeled clearly and boldly, showing what should be in every box or container. Besides, I will explain to the children in the class that I require them to put all items back in the appropriate containers when they finish working or playing in the math zone.
The third attribute is selecting furniture that offers a comfortable working space for learners. The math center should have appropriate sizeable chairs and tables for children. The learners might want to play with different manipulatives or maths materials while sitting on the chair or floor. Thus, a rug or carpet should also be added to the maths area within the class. Storage units, bulletin board room dividers, funnel boards, dry-erase boards, and puzzle racks are other furniture items that can help make the math center more comfortable and enjoyable for learners (Shkhaliyeva, 2022).
Examples of Appropriate Materials Needed for the Center
For an effective and comfortable math center, appropriate materials must be included. First, there is a need to have numeracy and counting materials. Shkhaliyeva (2022) notes that children can learn about numbers and know how to count by playing with various counting aids within the math center. These materials include sorting trays, counters, dice, counting toys, number boards, number games, and abacuses, all essential materials that a maths center should not miss.
The second material is numbers and operation materials. Shkhaliyeva (2022) advises that maths lessons should be supplemented with various math-related events in the math zone. Children can improve their understanding of numbers and basic math procedures by playing fun math games, puzzles, and flashcards. The next material is kits and manipulatives. Materials such as puzzles, pegboards, manipulative sets, and lacing beads can assist children in learning various skills, such as problem-solving, developing their fine motor skills, and improving their desire to create creative structures. Therefore, teachers should ensure they add different manipulatives within the math and manipulative center and store them in labeled containers for easy identification.
Lastly, patterning and sorting materials are appropriate for the math center. Children can learn how to sort items and recognize patterns based on several characteristics through colorful aids. Hence, the math center will have different counters, sorting sets, sorting things, and stacking activities for children to use (Shkhaliyeva, 2022). Such items can be used to understand and identify the children’s weaknesses and strengths, which will help find better solutions to the flaws and improve their development and level of maths understanding.
Conclusion
Generally, math centers are vital zones in any preschool classroom as they are a perfect center for four-year-old children to develop their fine motor skills, cognitive skills, and learner confidence. In addition, there are vital attributes that a math center should have, such as keeping material organized appropriately, appropriate size and location, and appropriate furniture. Math centers should also have suitable materials, such as patterning and sorting, kits and operation, numbers and operation materials, and numeracy and counting materials. In creating a math center for four-year-old children, the math center should be a comfortable place where learners can comfortably learn while sitting on a chair or the floor, so it should have a carpet or a rug.
References
Lundqvist, J., Franzén, K., & Munter, A. C. (2022). Early childhood mathematics: a case study. Early Years, 1-15.
McClelland, M. M., & Cameron, C. E. (2019). Developing together: The role of executive function and motor skills in children’s early academic lives. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 46, 142-151.
Santos, K. P. D. A. R., Bartholo, T. L., & Koslinski, M. C. (2021). The relationship between cognitive development, behavior indicators, and Personal, Social, and Emotional Development in Pre-school. Ensaio: Avaliação e Políticas Públicas em Educação, 30, 414-437.
Shkhaliyeva, K. (2022). Organization of corners or centers in preschool education institutions. Scientific Collection «InterConf», (130), 49-53.
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Question 
Creating Learning Environments
Directions: Be sure to make an electronic copy of your answer before submitting it to Ashworth College for grading. Unless otherwise stated, answer in complete sentences and use correct English spelling and grammar. Sources must be cited in APA format. Your response should be four (4) double-spaced pages in length; refer to the “Format Requirements” page for specific format requirements.
Imagine you are developing a math center for an age group of your choice.
1. Briefly describe the math center.
2. Describe three (3) ways that the math center will enhance children’s development. 3. Describe three (3) attributes of the center that will make it an effective math center.
4. Provide four (4) examples of appropriate materials you will need for the center.