A perspective of learning in play (2): Focusing on numerical concepts observed while children are playing

This paper aims to discuss the importance of promoting numerical skills while children are playing spontaneously with their peers through much trial and error. Several concrete scenes are reported in which we can observe the possible acquisition of numerical skills as a special form of learning for young children. Siegler (2009) conducted some experiments utilizing a special version of number line named number board that consisted of 10 slots numbered from 1 to 10. He showed that children aged 4 to 5 enhanced their comprehension of number line after they played with that number board game for 15 minutes every day for consecutive 2 weeks. He concluded that teaching young children with play was important. However, similar activities can often be observed during children’s spontaneous play. It would be also possible to make the similar environment without teaching intentionally. How to help children and facilitate to promote numerical skills might be varied depending on the belief of how we define the numerical skills or concepts. It is needless to say that it is important for children to do what they want to do when they play. The role of teachers is not to ignore nor pay less attention to children but to make desirable environment for children to acquire what they should learn during their play activities