Hands-On Mathematics: Preservice Teachers Supporting Home Learning During COVID-19

ABSTRACT

Mathematics manipulatives, or the physical objects and concrete materials that children use to make sense of concepts, have long been incorporated in early childhood classrooms to support children in building mathematical reasoning skills. During the pandemic, as schooling shifted to the home context, schoolteachers of young children confronted dilemmas in planning hands-on mathematics lessons as commercially prepared manipulatives were not available in the home setting. In this chapter, we draw from data collected in a multiple case study of ten preservice teachers planning lessons during an alternative practicum focused on supporting home learning during school closures. Our findings detail how preservice teachers included common household materials for hands-on mathematical experiences and invited family members to participate in the activities they designed for children in kindergarten to Grade 2 (4–7 years). Our exploration was guided by constructivist theories that identify the importance of young children’s active and purposeful manipulation of objects supported through conversations to build mathematical understandings. The results of the study illustrate that the preservice teachers attempted to support hands-on learning in different ways;the variation of these afford new ways of thinking about the configuration of pedagogies, children, families, and materials. This chapter offers insights into how early childhood educators in a variety of settings may redesign mathematics learning opportunities to support young children’s knowledge construction through flexible lessons that invite young children and families to use whatever materials are available to engage in hands-on mathematics activities. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.