– Thanks to the PLN 5,000 in funding received from mFundacja, we were able to carry out activities that helped children discover mathematics in the world around them. Our preschool was selected from among 518 submitted projects. We appreciate all the more that it was us who had the opportunity to participate in this program. Throughout its implementation, our goal was to show our preschoolers—in both the younger and older groups—in an accessible way how much mathematics surrounds us and how easy it is to understand when based on everyday life. Almost all of us associate mathematics only with school lessons; in our project, we wanted to move away from mathematical patterns and show children in an accessible way how many numbers surround us and how important numerical representation is in the world around us. We have numbers everywhere, and beginning education at the early-school stage with an emphasis on mathematics is crucial to how the world and our immediate surroundings are perceived later – says Jolanta Mienculewicz, the head of the institution.
The entire preschool—children, teachers and parents—was involved in implementing the program. Age-appropriate classes were held in each of the five groups. Thanks to the teaching aids purchased—an on-the-floor coding mat, mathematical scales, magnetic play money and creative building blocks—the children enthusiastically counted, coded and made art projects. They also visited the Municipal Utilities Management Company in Bolesławiec—the PSZOK. The program activities concluded with workshops attended by the children’s parents, during which ECO piggy banks were made from ecological materials.
The following activities were held as part of the program:
- “Ladybirds Are Covered in Dots”;
- “Coding on the Floor—What Is It Like to Grow with Mathematics?”;
- “Bottle-Cap Frenzy”;
- “The Older Children in Action! Water—How to Save It and Care for the Planet”;
- “Weight and Measurement—Foot, Ell and Centimeter”;
- A visit to the PSZOK—the Selective Waste Collection Point;
- Workshops with parents—ECO piggy banks.
– While carrying out the individual program tasks, we placed a strong emphasis on showing the children the connection between mathematics and ecology. The children learned why waste should be sorted, that paper has seven lives and that glass can be recycled an unlimited number of times; we learned this thanks to the courtesy of MZGK in Bolesławiec. All the children benefited from the wealth of knowledge provided through the mFundacja project. The photographs show the children’s enthusiasm and smiles during each of the activities. The children’s smiles and commitment are the most important things we managed to achieve – emphasizes J. Mienculewicz.