Abstract
Cooking is a powerful teaching activity that can be used as an integral part of an early childhood curriculum. In this study, we designed and implemented a cooking-infused program in order to investigate the ways that such a program supports preschoolers’ math concepts and skills and their attitudes toward mathematics. Data were collected over three years through both quantitative and qualitative measures of the participants’ math gains. The study results show that the following characteristics of the cookinginfused program are central to improving preschoolers’ math understanding and positive attitude toward mathematics–child-centred learning, problem-solving, daily-life connections, and peer guidance. We highlight that preschoolers could explore high levels of mathematics concepts and develop positive attitudes toward math when their learning is supported with carefully-designed cooking activities.
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Appendix A The content outline of pre- and post-assessment items
Appendix A The content outline of pre- and post-assessment items
Areas of content | Items |
|---|---|
1. Counting and Cardinality (n=21) | Counting up to 10 (n=7) Writing numerals up to 10 (n=2) Counting up to 20 (n=3) Finding the missing number within 20 (n=3) Recognizing numerals up to 20 (n=1) Identifying which group has more quantity (n=1) Identifying a larger or the largest number among the given numbers (n=1) Ordering numbers from least to greatest (n=1) Identifying the order of colors in a set (e.g., first, second, third, fourth, etc.) (n=2) |
2. Operations and Algebraic Thinking (n=10) | Doing simple addition and subtraction (i.e., 2+1=?) (n=4) Identifying pictures that show simple addition and subtraction (i.e., 3+2=5) (n=2) Identifying what comes next in a pattern (n=2) Identifying the number of people per boat (n=1) Identifying the number of pine cones in each bowl (n=1) |
3. Geometry (n=12) | Finding all the pictures that show equal parts (i.e., fourths) (n=2) Identifying two-dimensional shapes such as circle or hexagon (n=2) Identifying three-dimensional shapes such as cube, cone, or sphere (n=6) Finding the number of sides of shapes such as triangle and rectangle (n=2) |
4. Measurement & Data (n=10) | Identifying which shapes are the same or different (n=1) Identifying which digital clock shows the given time (n=3) Identifying what time the digital or analog clock shows (n=4) Identifying which analog clock shows the same time as the given digital clock, vice versa (n=2) |
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Jo, S., Son, JW. ‘I Can Create and Eat it for Snack’: How Can Cooking Activities Support Early Math Learning?. Early Childhood Educ J 50, 983–997 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-021-01230-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-021-01230-0