Sample Lesson: Trixie
Trixie was 2 years and 8 months at the time that this video was made.
The Problem
Trixie is playing with her xylophone, counting something on my T-shirt,
when I see
an opportunity to introduce a simple addition problem. "I have 5 fish
over here, and
5 fish over here. What I want to know is how many fish I have
altogether."
What To Look For In This Video
- Early arithmetic can be taught to very young children.
- This "lesson" is very informal. It is hard to distinguish it from playing.
- The lesson is very short - 1 minute and 45 seconds.
- The lesson involves real objects - my fingers. Trixie is willing to pretend that they are fish.
- It seems clear that Trixie doesn't understand the meaning of the question,"How many fish are there altogether? I am teaching her what the question requires her to do - count the "fish."