“A Sweet Shop” – The Journey of Young Vinsers Learning Counting and Exchange
How do preschool children learn Math? How can we help children understand the concept of quantity and the meaning of calculation in daily life? Let’s see what 4-5-year-old Vinsers do during a Math activity!
The activity “A Sweet Shop” is a fun experience that helps children not only enjoy the colorful world of candy but also learn basic mathematical concepts and exchange skills by using money.
Children practice one-to-one correspondence counting skills in the process of exchanging items, for example: When children want to buy 3 candies, they need to pay 3 pieces of money and count each corresponding to the number of candies. This activity helps young Vinsers learn how to count, exchange items for their respective values, and understand the purpose of money use in daily life.
Math can also be learnt through games in which children play roles as customers and sellers to practice counting, estimating, and checking their estimation skills. Let’s figure out how this exciting journey takes place.
- Learn about the one-to-one correspondence concept:
Children learnt about the process of buying and selling by comparison activities. 1 candy would be paid by 1 piece of money. So what if the child wanted to buy 2 candies? They had to pay 2 pieces of money. How about 4, 5, 6 candies? Students should check the amount of money to pay corresponding to the amount of candy the teacher mentioned.
- Practice money use through role-play:
After learning about the one-to-one correspondence concept, children practiced with their classmates through the activity “A Sweet Shop”. Children could role-play as customers and sellers. As customers, children could practice deciding the amount of candy they wanted to buy and counting the correct amount to pay. In addition to Math skills, children could also practice social skills such as greeting, waiting in line for their turn… As sellers, children could practice counting skills. They had to count the correct amount of candy to give to customers and check the correct amount of money paid by customers. Through the playing process, both the customers and the sellers could practice one-to-one correspondence counting.
?Outstanding benefits from the activity “A Sweet Shop”:
- Develop mathematical thinking
Through counting and role-play activities, children learn to recognize and use numbers, practice one-to-one correspondence counting, and understand the concept of quantity. These are important foundations in developing children’s mathematical thinking.
- Enhance communication and teamwork skills
Playing the roles of customers and sellers at a store helps children develop communication skills, learn to negotiate and share ideas. Children also learn how to cooperate and work with friends to create fair and fun exchanges.
- Encourage responsibility and independence
When children manage their own money and make purchasing decisions, they learn to take responsibility for their choices. This not only helps children develop independence but also encourages them to be thoughtful about using resources appropriately.
Through an activity that seems to be just a role-playing game, our Vinsers can practice various skills, especially the one-to-one correspondence counting skills in Math: “Easy and Fun Math at Vinschool!”
