Reflection 2 on Entry 3
Using blocks is a great way to count. They allow students to handle objects, allowing them the opportunity to see what the number 5 looks like and feels like. A number can be a tangible thing, something that can be grasped and understood...it’s not just a symbol that is generated by ideas, but instead the number can be created by using things to represent it. The blocks can help represent other objects that will aid in the developmental process of understanding a certain number’s worth. For instance, the teacher may want to demonstrate that twenty-five apples and thirty-six oranges, when added together, make the number sixty-one. It is easy to demonstrate this by using words, but if the teacher wanted to use objects, it would be a difficult task to try and bring in the exact number of fruits to represent the number that is being taught. So, the bocks can be a useful way of representing objects (such as apples and oranges) that are not always readily available. Teachers are still able to make their lessons engaging, colourful and interactive with a bit of imagination.