INTRODUCING THE COORDINATE SYSTEM TO KINDERGARTEN CHILDREN: A DEVELOPMENTAL APPROACH

Authors

  • Kevser Koç Istanbul Medeniyet University, Türkiye,
  • Ayşe Arzu Arı Kocaeli University, Türkiye
  • Yusuf Koç Kocaeli University, Türkiye

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v10i9.4935

Keywords:

coordinate system, early mathematics, kindergarten, mathematics teaching

Abstract

The coordinate system is a fundamental tool for many daily activities, yet it is usually taught to children in middle school. Research suggests that children should be exposed to the coordinate system at a younger age, using methods appropriate to their developmental level. This paper presents a set of instructional activities designed to teach kindergarten children the basic concepts and principles of the coordinate system. The activities were implemented in two early childhood institutions in Istanbul, Türkiye. Arranged in a developmental progression from simple to complex and from concrete to abstract, they align with the children's developmental levels. We discussed what we learned from our implementations of the activities. Detailed suggestions are presented for teachers introducing young children to the coordinate system.

 

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Author Biographies

  • Kevser Koç, Istanbul Medeniyet University, Türkiye,

    Kevser Koç is an early childhood education associate professor at Istanbul Medeniyet University. She received her doctorate from Indiana University Bloomington and completed her Master’s in Early Childhood Education. She completed her undergraduate studies in Psychology at Ankara University. Her doctoral dissertation was titled “Moral Dilemmas in Early Childhood Settings: Turkish Teachers’ Accounts.” Her research interests include early childhood education, teacher education, children’s literature, and early mathematics. She has published articles in prestigious journals, including Young Children, Journal of Early Childhood Research, International Journal of Special Education, and SAGE Open. e-mail: koc.kevser@gmail.com

  • Ayşe Arzu Arı, Kocaeli University, Türkiye

    Ayşe Arzu Arı is an assistant professor of mathematics education at Kocaeli University with a doctorate from Kocaeli University in mathematics. Her dissertation was on topological spaces. She completed her undergraduate studies in Mathematics at Ankara University. She has taught middle school mathematics in public schools for several years. Her research interests include teacher education, mathematics education, mathematical modeling, and ethnomathematics. She has published several research articles, including “Mathematics teacher candidates' perceptions of mathematical modeling and modeling: A metaphor study” and “Content analysis of meta-analysis studies made in mathematics education in Turkey.” e-mail: abural@kocaeli.edu.tr

  • Yusuf Koç, Kocaeli University, Türkiye
    Yusuf Koç is an associate professor of mathematics education at Kocaeli University with a doctorate from Indiana University Bloomington. He completed his undergraduate studies in Teaching Secondary School Mathematics at Middle East Technical University. His doctoral dissertation was on using case studies in mathematics teacher education. His research interests include early mathematics, mathematics education, teacher education, and teaching and learning geometry. He has published several articles in prestigious journals, including Teaching and Teacher Education, Journal of Mathematics Education, The Educational Researcher, and SAGE Open. e-mail: kocyusuf@gmail.com

References

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Published

2023-07-10

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 9 (2023)

Section

Articles

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