Introduction
This essay aims to report on how an educator’s mathematical content knowledge and skills could impact on the development of children’s understanding about the pattern. The Early Years Framework for Australia (EYLF) defines numeracy as young children’s capacity, confidence and disposition in mathematics, and the use of mathematics in their daily life (Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), 2009, p.38). It is imperative for children to have an understanding of pattern to develop mathematical concepts and early algebraic thinking, combined with reasoning (Knaus, 2013, p.22). The pattern is explained by Macmillan (as cited in Knaus, 2013, p.22) as the search for order that may have a repetition in arrangement of object spaces, numbers and design.
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The essay discusses about an activity aimed for the children to engage in a number pattern. The activity links to both the EYMCT results and the four elements of pattern, namely, questioning, play, assessment and manipulatives, and how they help children enhance their knowledge about patterns.
Mathematical ideas needed by an educator
Patterns could be seen all around us, with an arrangement following a given criteria or set of rules (Knaus, 2013, p.22). It is imperative for the educators to see and use the regularity or repetition of pattern to predict, expect and plan the outcome (Department of Education, Western Australia (DEWA), 2013, p.200, KU1). Educator should possess the knowledge about the numerical or spatial regularity and also the relationship that exists among various components of a pattern (Bobis , Mulligan & Lowrie, 2013, p.55). Educators should have problem solving skills by analysing relationships among quantities, noticing structure, and observing changes and generalising, through which they could model, by making predictions and planning (Bobis , Mulligan & Lowrie, 2013, p.57). Children draw and use function objects to sort and classify them,