Children’s play often contains rich mathematical opportunities. Noticing and responding to children’s ideas in both formal and informal settings can support children to build connections between what they know about the world and important mathematical ideas.  An important part of this work is drawing out children’s varied ways of describing and communicating their ideas about measurement and spatial relations. In this video clip, Ms. Torres has observed a student playing with Magnatiles, and decides to ask her more about the “house” she is building. As you watch, think about the ways that Ms. Torres supports connections between play, mathematics, and communication.

Questions for reflection

• What mathematical ideas emerged during play?
• What was Ms. Torres’ role in supporting children’s sense-making and varied ways of communicating?  
• In what ways were the children given space to participate?  
• Where could you look for opportunities to “mathematize” play in your work with young children?

As they make sense of themselves and the world around them, children naturally compare things to each other.  Their intuitive ideas about what or who is taller, longer, or heavier provide entry points into the mathematics of measurement. As you watch the clip below, think about the ways that the teacher elicits and responds to children’s ideas as they relate to important measurement concepts.

Questions for reflection

• What ideas about measurement emerged for children? How is their intuition treated as a resource?
• In what ways does the teacher support students to connect their language of “bigger” to ideas about length?
• The teacher chooses to draw attention to a student’s comment about “tippy toes.” Why do you think she decided to do this? How is the idea of “tippy toes” related to important ideas about measuring length?