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Order Milk For Lunch: They get concrete experience with fractions when they divide various things into halves, thirds, and fourths, and sometimes into sixths, eighths, tenths, and twelfths. Through buying crackers and milk for a midmorning lunch or a regular noon lunch, counting money contributed for some special purpose, or buying stamps to put on letters written to absent classmates, children get practice in the accurate and meaningful use of money and, incidentally, in number combinations.
Experience with numbers begins early and comes before computation. School affords numerous opportunities for number experiences. Counting precedes the development of numerical concepts. Taught by traditional methods it does not involve discrimination and generalization. However, there are many real things which children are interested in counting: the number of children who order milk for lunch, the number in different groups, the number of napkins needed for a party, and the like.
"But, Hilda, I have nothing else now. Take just a little of this nice warm pea soup, your apple, milk and cake. After school you will have your chocolate malted milk."
"I won't. I don't want that green stuff. I won't eat it. I won't have no lunch."
"But, darling, just two or three spoonfuls. I will give them to you myself and you will finish quickly. Try it, it tastes good."
"No, I won't," she said, angrily moving her head from left to right. She pushed the plate aside stubbornly, and looked at her mother.
"O.K., don't have pea soup, but don't ask for the chocolate malted milk this afternoon. You should eat now because otherwise you won't have anything to eat till six o'clock when your father gets home." In answer the child moved away and started off to school. |
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