About

The project ‘recreaMATHS’, is intending to shift the teaching of mathematics to kindergarten, by providing the kindergarten educators and formal/non-formal STEM education providers with meaningful non-formal tools which shift the emphasis from “numeracy skills” and ‘skill and drill practices’ to teaching the ‘language of math’ by aligning to this spectrum both the content and the pedagogy of the material produced.

Taking this into consideration, recreaMATHS along with its inherent methodologies are targeting towards the following results:

1. The formation of a unique mathematical approach for kindergarten educators which frames mathematics not just as a competency around number, but as socio-cultural product as well as a multifaceted educational field, through a journey of its demonstrated applicability in everyday life, technology, culture and arts, as well as through its correlation with the European cultural heritage. Accordingly, the educators will be endowed with alternative pedagogical methodologies and synchronous interdisciplinary best- practices to approaching simple math concepts and reasoning for preschool ages, thus helping the students to develop skills related with “Mathematical Discourse, Logic and Reasoning”.
2. The familiarization of kindergarten educators with the utilization of digital tools and technological innovations (e.g., 3D modelling, printing, publication software) for the construction of modern math manipulates that serve their peculiar educational needs and objectives.
3. The design and development of an inclusive educational approach suitable for Deaf/ Hard of Hearing and Visually impaired students, as well as for students with SLDs.

By employing methodologies, such as “game-based pedagogies” and “experiential learning” as well as by assimilating the concept of “mathematical exhibitions/ math exhibits” that has widely been adopted in order to conceptualize and delineate both the work and vision of the most reputable Math Museums worldwide, the project recreaMATHS aspires to bring math museum- oriented methodologies in kindergarten classrooms. Such decision, has been based on the rationale that math museum activity is capable of changing the perception of mathematics, especially by developing and strengthening its own language, different from the school language and the scientific popularization.

4 Intellectual Outputs:

• 1 methodological guide on the formulation of the synthetic elements of a solid and coherent pedagogical approach;
• 5 mathematical e-books for kids (4-5 years old) and 5 e-books for children 6-7 years old that could be used in kindergarten and primary schools’ classrooms. A Creation-Kit on mathematical e-books appealing to educators, on the creative, pedagogical and technical aspects of generating tailor made E-books on math- from scratch.
• 12 hands-on plus 2 Virtual Mathematical exhibits for kindergartens, based on the principles of experimental learning and play-based pedagogies.
• A 20-hour Module on 3D modelling, printing and photogrammetry which endows kindergarten educators with the appropriate know-how on how to utilize a computer aided software with the aim to ideate, design, illustrate and print out their own math manipulatives and three-dimensional exhibits. A creation kit composed of design maps, thoroughly analysed instructions and ready-to-print designs (3D) of the 12 mathematical exhibits.