by Mishelle Lyons, Senior Kindergarten Teacher, Lakeside -

Math learning and teaching can be truly entertaining in the right setting. With the inquiry approach, students are given opportunities to identify and simulate the environment where they would like to play and learn. The Hawker Centre corner has been the case for my class. Even after the Unit of Inquiry is over, students were determined to keep this setup as they had planned, created and shared great memories of learning in this space.

The class’ interest in hawker centres started with the unit of inquiry, Where we are in place and time. As part of the unit, we have been exploring various places in Singapore, and our explorations led us to visit our local Hawker Centre on a field trip. This trip inspired the SK class to create their own Hawker Centre in their classroom. Students showed incredible creativity by applying different math concepts into their unique creation. What was even more incredible is that the children brought these math concepts into play on their own. It was student directed learning in the true sense.

During the creation of the students’ Hawker Centre, the concepts of measurement, number sense and spatial awareness were introduced. They measured the cardboard boxes they would use to build the stalls to see if they would fit in the space. They had to estimate how much paint would be needed to decorate the boxes and how many boxes were needed to make the Hawker Centre match the design they had envisioned.

When the construction process ended, it was time to “play” in the centre. Students discussed and further explored the concept of money. They created a menu and decided how much each item would cost. It was indeed very expensive to eat at our Hawker Centre! Many different strands of math came into play as the students expanded their math vocabulary and made connections to the world around them. This method of making authentic connections between mathematical concepts and everyday life is proven to be the best way for young children to grasp these rather complicated concepts.

This Hawker Centre creation, and the inquiry and play-based learning process empowered SK students to work independently in a team and design a learning space by themselves.

If you are in the mood for chicken and rice, please stop by SK3. Make sure to bring your imagination and lots of money!