A project in early childhood education: “What is a zoologist?”

Abstract

Mathematical Education in the early years is undeniably relevant for the social and personal development of the child, impacting their future life. Thus, aiming to bridge real-life experiences with learning opportunities provided in formal educational contexts, there arises the need to integrate Mathematics with the other content areas described in the Curriculum Guidelines for Preschool Education (Silva et al., 2016), to contextualize activities, and to consider the needs and interests of children in this process. Based on these premises, a project was developed, consisting of several sessions, based on the question "What is a zoologist?", and considering a socio-constructivist view of learning. The project was implemented with a group of nine children aged between three and four years old, with the theme focusing on animals and some of their characteristics, as this was a topic of interest and curiosity for the group. The objectives of the project included understanding and identifying animal characteristics, developing mathematical skills and knowledge, and fostering interest and curiosity in Mathematics. Data collection involved direct and participant observation, as well as photographic and video recordings, with the collected information subjected to descriptive analysis. The results obtained demonstrate that integrating Mathematics with a topic of children's interest not only enhances the group's engagement in activities but also fosters the development of personal skills, mathematical abilities, and knowledge in other content areas. It is concluded that the objectives were achieved, with children developing learning outcomes in various content areas, with Mathematics and Knowledge of the World standing out, as evidenced by the various records produced in the implemented activities.