Environmental Task - Problem solving

Speaking of problem solving, I'll not be the very first people who can come up with a solution whenever there is a problem. Relating it to Math, problem solving reminds me of those problem sums that would appear at the last section of the exam paper during my primary school days. A short paragraph of sometimes misleading or confusing sentences that demanded us poor students to come up with a solution. Haha. I sound bitter, but being able to solve those problems gained me a sense of accomplishment back then. As Algebra was not introduced till secondary one, those problem sums were taught to be solved by drawing blocks/ boxes to represent units.

Basically, students back then solved math problems by following a standard procedures; problem solve by selecting the correct formula or steps. However, i feel that young children should experience solving problems through authentic situation rather than what is depicted on paper.

The four of us, Seow Wei, Sola, Joanne and I met up at Plaza Singapura after work to discuss about how and where we could conduct an interesting Math activity for a group of kindergartners. We were walking towards Ajisen for dinner, and as i stared at the tiles on the floor, an idea popped up from my mind. I was thinking of conducting an estimation and counting activity, where children predict how many of them could stand/sit/lie down on a particular number of tiles on the floor, or how many of them are needed to reach the other end of the entrance of a shop while holding hands. We also shared many other ideas as we proceeded. When we reached Ajisen, our stomach conquered our mind to think as we ate heartily and side tracked for a little while.

Finally, we decided on the activity by inviting children to work in pairs, to create presents for Children's Day by purchasing needed materials from Daiso given a budget of $10 each. We thought that it would be easier as everything is selling at $2 (not trying to advertise). This activity integrated a number of skills, from team cooperation and planning, to math concepts such as counting money, and operations including addition and subtraction. The activity provided an opportunity to problem solve using a fixed amount to obtain the necessary items needed for making the presents, as children will have to keep in mind not to overspent and to prioritize which is more important.