Children in Europe are learning outside more and more too, as an antidote to the indoor, digital worlds that they (we?) tend to inhabit by default. This article was written in 2018 by a Dutch Kindergarten teacher, Linda Willemsen. I translate and share it with permission.
Running 'Rithmetic with Kindergarten
This past year, because of lack of classroom space, I had a class of 35 Kindergartners. Besides the amount of students, the boy/girl ratio was also not exactly ideal: 9 girls and 26 boys. And those boys were not interested in sitting still during circle time. Lots of wiggles!
During my math mini-lessons, which really did not last more than 10-15 minutes, I noticed that I was giving more warnings than instruction. This is not what I wanted. I chose this career in order to be able to teach, so I decided that something had to change.
I initiated Running 'Rithmetic; in other words, math on the playground.
Management
I started with one attempt per week, so that I could try out on a small scale whether it worked out for my children and myself. I am also of the opinion that not all math lessons can be done outside; I keep in mind that it is handy for some math lessons to be inside so that we can use manipulatives or the projector.
I can imagine that many teachers assume that teaching math outside requires more preparations than teaching it in the classroom. I will give a number of ready-to-go examples below for outdoor math lessons.
My experience is that teaching math outside is not more labour-intensive, and by now I hardly need extra prep time for it. It is handy, though, to have a set of number flashcards (1-20) for each student, laminated, so that they hold up even on damp days.
When we do Running 'Rithmetic as a class, we always do it before or after recess. I extend my recess time by adding math time to it. For me, this doesn't necessarily mean that it's always math time after recess. My experience is that students like it best when I call them to myself for the math lesson partway through recess. This way, they have play times and math times during recess.
I have two separate groups for math, so that each of them work on their own goals. And that's what I do outside as well. The children know that when I clap my hands the first time, Group 1 comes to me. The second time I clap is when Group 2 comes. It happens sometimes that one of the students is so engrossed in his play that he forgets to come, but typically one of his classmates will go and get him.
The nice thing about doing math outside is that the group whose turn it isn't can just keep on playing, with fewer issues than would be the case in the classroom because there is more room. It allows me to focus better on the group that's with me.
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| Klas van Juf Linda |
Some Activities
For Running 'Rithmetic, you'll need a few basic materials.
- sidewalk chalk is my favorite. With it, you can write numbers, shapes, lines and patterns.
- as I mentioned earlier, it is handy to have sets of flashcards
- hoops
- cones
- measuring tapes or sticks (not a basic material; needed for one activity below)
- water balloons! (not a basic material; needed for one activity below)
Counting
- Join your students in jumping from one place to another, and count how many jumps it took. Of course, each student takes different sized jumps, but that doesn't matter. The point is whether they count correctly.
- Count the number of objects on the school grounds: how many trees are there? How many bicycles? You can always adjust, and you don't need any materials. Some days, you can even leave the school property and count the number of houses on the street. Depending on the street, just let the kids run ahead a ways and come back to you to report.
- Jump up and down or ahead, and together count to 10 or 20. To take it up a notch, indicate that you will jump a specific number of times. That way you can observe which students stop at that number and which keep on going.
Number Recognition
- With sidewalk chalk, write numbers on the paved area in a scattered pattern or in order, depending on what you want to practise. Let the children run to the number that you call out.
Number Order
- In a given area, like a field, lay one set of flashcards for each child on one side in random order. Standing on the other side, tell the children to run across to pick up one card each in order to lay them in order on their own side. Who will be first to have the numbers laying in order?
Measurement
- Let the children measure objects on the schoolyard. Give them measuring tapes, metersticks or rulers. Often, I let the students draw what they have measured and label the drawing with the proper measurement.
Geometry
- Draw geometric shapes on the playground with sidewalk chalk.
- Fill a large bucket with water balloons, and draw on them the same geometric shapes. Let the children throw the water balloons at the matching shape. That shape disappears and fun is guaranteed.
- Of course you can also call out the name of a shape and have students run to that one.
Concepts
- Look for things that are ... (large/small/thin/long/short, etc). You don't need any materials for this assignment; the schoolyard is enough. Explain the concept briefly and let the children look for it. Ensure that you repeat the concept regularly as you walk around with the group.
Of course, there are many other possibilities. Just adjust the lesson to the learning goal that you have for the children. Running 'Rithmatic, I am a fan. No more children who are bored with the lesson or who come to the math circle with groans. Instead of warnings, enthusiastically running kids. They don't even realize that they are learning! Are you going to give it a try?
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