California Preschool Learning Foundations - ECEZero2Three ...

These researchers provide some
evidence that young children, when
engaged in play, do generate their own
repeating patterns. In preschool settings,
teachers can encourage children
to share their patterns created
with objects, bodies, and sounds in
relation to music, art, and movement
(Smith 2001). Although the cited work
is invaluable to the education of young
children and the development of preschool
learning foundations, much
research remains to be done.
The developmental trajectory of
patterns has been characterized as
evolving from three-year-old children’ s
ability to identify repeating pattern
to four-year-old children’s ability to
engage in pattern duplication and
pattern extension (Klein and Starkey
2004). The perception of the initial un it
plays a fundamental role in both the
duplication and extension of
patterns.
Measurement
Measurement is defined as a mathe -
matical process that involves assignin g
numbers to a set of continuous quantities
(Clements and Stephen 2004).
Technically, measurement is a numbe r
that indicates a comparison between
the attribute of the object being
measured and the same attribute of
a given unit of measure. To understand
the concept of measurement,
children must be able to decide on th e
attribute of objects to measure, select
the units to measure the attribute,
and use measuring skills and tools to
compare the units (Clements 2004a;
Van de Walle 2001). To accomplish
this task, children should understand
the different units that are assigned
to physical quantities such as length,
California Department of Education • Preschool Learning Foundations, Volume 1
163
height, weight, volume, and nonphysical
quantities such as time, and temperature
(Smith 2001).
Measurement is one of the main
real-world applications of mathematics.
Shaw and Blake (1998) note that
in children’s mathematics curricula,
measurement is an integration of
number operation and geometry in
everyday mathematical experiences.
A typical developmental trajectory
involves children first learning to use
words that represent quantities or
magnitude of a certain attribute. Then,
children begin to demonstrate an ability
to compare two objects directly
and recognize equality or inequality.
For example, they may compare two
objects to determine which is longer
or heavier. After comparing two items,
children develop the ability to compare
three or more objects and to order
them by size (e.g. from shortest to longest)
or by other attributes. Finally,
children learn to measure, connecting
numbers to attributes of objects, such
as length, weight, amount, and area
(Clements 2004a; Ginsburg, Inoue,
and Seo 1999).
This theoretical sequence establishes
the basis for the measurement
strand. Children’s familiarity with the
language required to describe measurement
relationships—such as longer,
taller, shorter, the same length,
holds less, holds the same amount—is
an important foundation for the concept
of measurement (Greenes 1999)
that should be directly addressed in
preschool and, thus, is incorporated as
part of the mathematics foundations
for children at around 48 months of
age. Young preschoolers learn to use
words that describe measurement relationships
as they compare two objects
MATHEMATICS