“Let’s count to 100!” Says Mom.
Fariz counted one all the way to one hundred without skipping any number and in the correct order.
“Great!” Mom beams with much pride.
“Which number is greater? 60 or 40?”
Fariz hesitated to answer. He said 60 and then 40, and then Fariz moved away to play with his toys.
First, let’s celebrate the fact that Fariz has a good memory. He was able to rote-count from 1 to 100 in the correct order, and without skipping any number. However, understanding maths is more than just counting. Understanding maths is about logical thinking.
In its most simplest definition, logical thinking is a process of clearly moving from one related thought to another.
In “There Are Saga Seeds in Our Pockets!”, there were a few logical thought processes that have been weaved through the story.
For example, readers are taught to fold the batik cloth into a tanjak. (p3)
In the story, Mom folded the tanjak in an ordered sequence. The illustrations are also accompanied by the text which stated the ordered instructions…First… Next, and… Finally.
It is only a 3 step process, and yet it is a complex process for very young children and they will need time to figure out how to fold the cloth into a tanjak.
Does it make sense? Is it in the correct order? Is there any other way of doing it?
In any situation where we need to problem solve, we could always ask our child those questions even in daily tasks like clearing his toys . For example if you want him to put the big puzzles into the box first and then the smaller ones, instead of telling him what to do, you can ask him:
Does it make sense? Is it in the correct order? Is there any other way of doing it?
He may not get it right the first time or may not see your rationale immediately, but learning is a process.
To encourage young children to understand sequencing, always begin something from left to right, and from top to bottom. It is an important awareness for us adults to have because sometimes we overlooked this and present instructions and messages in a manner that are all over the place and confusing for the child. And then, we lament their confusion. 😉
More math tips from the book “There Are Saga Seeds In our Pockets!” coming soon. In the meantime, be sure to share this with your friends.
You can purchase the book, “There Are Saga Seeds In Our Pockets!” online. You can also download free resources here.
