NUMERATION AND PLACE VALUE SYSTEM
editThe attention paid to learning of numeration and place value system is seen to be inadequate. It is instrumental for poor understanding and conceptual hurdles. Children in general need experience in handing concrete objects, both continuous and discrete in developing the ability and skill to handle with confidence and care place value numeration.
The first stage till ten objects are counted and ten should not be introduced to be written as 10 unless it is understood that 1 means 1 ten and 0 means '0' ones. This is possible only after bundling of sticks is done.
Once children know to count ten objects, let children make bundles of ten sticks each using rubber band. This is liked by children.
Example:
edit2 tens 3 ones 2 3 Twenty Three
SQUARES, CUBES, TRIANGULAR NUMBERS AND POWER
editRecognition of a square, a cube and a triangular number arms a child with keenness in handling them and finding their inter-relationship.
1 x 1 = 1 2 x 2 = 4
WHOLE AND PART AND FRACTION
editPreconceived notions of whole and part vitiate understanding the notion of fractional number from its initial stage meaning a whole number divided by a natural number.
I have often asked the teacher, present in numerous workshops I have conducted, 'Are you a whole ?' This teacher invariably replies, 'I am a whole'. When asked if he/she is not a part of his/her family, he/she smiles and says, 'of course'. Then it dawns on the minds of all the workshop participants that one can be a whole or a part depending on the consideration.
Whole and part concept needs to be had in continuous as well as discreet situation.
Taking one's five fingers in one hand to make a whole, what part of whole is each finger ? It is one out of five or one fifth written as 1/5. Two finders form 2 out of 5 or two fifths written as 2/5 and so on till five out of five or five fifths written as 5/5, is obtained whole.
If four fingers are taken together to form a whole naming the fingers in sequence of one, two , etc. as parts of the whole considered, gives 1/4, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 or 1. What about the fingers outside or beyond the whole? It is 1/4 more than the whole (4/4) or 5/4.