The Numicon method in the formation of quantitative concepts in preschool children

Abstract

One of the fundamental principles underlying the federal educational program for preschool education is the development of a child's cognitive interests and cognitive actions across various types of activities. Furthermore, by the end of the preschool period, a child is expected to be able to apply – in real-life and play situations – knowledge regarding the quantity, shape, size, spatial properties, and temporal aspects of objects, as well as skills such as counting, measuring, comparing, and calculating. Consequently, mastering mathematical concepts and methods of mathematical activity is essential for the child to understand the world around them and to continue their education at the next level. One of the most challenging areas of the preschool mathematics curriculum for children to grasp is «Quantity and Counting», as the concept of a number is highly abstract; numbers cannot be seen and do not exist in the surrounding material environment. Given that abstract thinking begins to develop toward the end of the preschool years, it is essential to visualize mathematical objects – the nature of numbers – by incorporating material models of numbers into activities with preschoolers. The article substantiates the feasibility of using the multisensory Numicon method and its visual materials to develop quantitative concepts in preschoolers. Their use ensures an approach to learning based on visual-action-oriented activity and fosters the development of children's understanding of number as a quantitative characteristic of a set and of number composition; it also promotes the acquisition of counting and calculation skills, as well as methods for establishing «greater than», «less than», and «equal to» relationships.