Math for pre-school age from the first free online global school

Read the announcement: “After hearty reception by thousands of students, parents and… teachers in Greece and abroad, the first free Online Global School, Athena innovates once more, by applying a new advanced teaching approach for preschool kids, that converts the pursuit of mathematics in a pleasant, attractive and vibrant process. This is the method of Cuisenaire, which through the use of modern web technologies, aims to build a solid bridge that connects the work of the child on the math material with the abstract thought in symbols – numbers. Key to the new method of teaching that occurs on the website of the Ecumenical School www.arnos.gr is the strengthening of self-motivation and creativity of the child, through processes of experimentation and self-control.
The original teaching approach was presented a few days ago in AISI 2015, the 1st International Conference on Intelligent Systems and Informatics, held in Cairo, Egypt, under the supervision of Professor Amin Lofty, President of the University of Beni Suef. At the conference, the scientific team of the Ecumenical School “Athena”, led by the Director and co-founder, mathematician and civil engineer, mr. John Yolk, participated in the thematic field of “New technologies in Education and Psychology”, under the supervision of the Επίκουρης Professor at the University of East London, researcher, educator and author mrs. Eugenia Theodotou. The Ecumenical School “Athena” introduced the use of the method of Cuisenaire in the teaching of mathematics during the preschool and school age, as well as lesson plans for immediate implementation in the classroom with the help of modern technologies.
The method of Cuisenaire make up a box with colored sticks, one “track”, i.e., a rectangular frame with grooves and numbers, for verification operations, and a computer screen, instead of the classic chalkboard. The philosophy of the educational material is based on the creation of a learning environment through the use of χειραπτικού hardware, and to take advantage of the power of geometry to represent the basic mathematical ideas are and learning objectives of the action. The child has the opportunity to observe the number in essence and in its entirety, to control and to verify the calculations and to correct the errors of his way. Also, the systematic engagement with the material Cuisenaire sharpen observation of the child and contributes to the development of deductive thinking.
In more detail, the method of Cuisenaire facilitate the child to attempt a lot of preliminary exercises, in order to understand the numbers and their relationship, the decimal system, the content of the four acts, the rational numbers and the units of measurement, preparing for the next stage of mental calculations and the symbols of numbers. In addition, the perception of the relations which have structured the math is achieved by exploiting the natural tendency of the child for the game, which makes the method of Cuisenaire the most appropriate way to ensure a deeper understanding of the taught concepts.
It is worth noting, that recent scientific studies and surveys have shown that children aged four to eight years old respond more positively to important mathematical concepts, compared with students of an older age, while as noted in the preschool period lays the foundations of mathematical thinking. At the same time, teachers stress that a good start in the preschool age determines the relationship of the child with the math and therefore a whole system of thought and critical understanding that will be highly useful in everyday life.
The custody of the presentation of the method of Cuisenaire at the Conference, AISI 2015 were the teachers of the Ecumenical School “Athena” and of the ΑΡΝΟΣ Online Education mrs Claus Τσιλιβής and Kosmas Μάντσης. The presentation was published already by the Publishing Agency Springer in the context of adoption of the minutes of the Conference. The link to the presentation is http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-26690-9_8
The first free e – Elementary School was created at the initiative of the Ecumenical Federation of Constantinopolitans, Research Laboratory of Microwaves and Fiber Optics of the National Technical University of athens (ΕΜΟΙ/NTUA) and the ΑΡΝΟΣ Online Education. The specially designed educational material of the “Athena” covers the material 22 courses of all classes of Primary School and includes analysis of the theory, solutions of the exercises of the textbook and copybook work, methodology, examples and interactive tests. At the same time, through the service e-Elementary school Study, the students of the Ecumenical School have the option of daily direct communication with the online teacher using a video-camera and interactive whiteboard.
For more information about the educational programmes of “Athena” you can contact us at the phones: 210-382 24 95 & 210- 382 21 57.”