Developing Mathematical Skills in First-Year Preschoolers with a Dough Modeling Activity in an International Kindergarten in Bangkok, Thailand
Keywords:
Mathematics Skills Development, Early Childhood Skill Development, Game-Based Learning, Play-Based LearningAbstract
Through the use of a dough modeling activity, this study sought to determine the level of mathematical skills development of preschoolers. The sample group consisted of 17 first-year preschoolers from an international kindergarten in Bangkok. The research instruments were a set of tasks for developing mathematical skills through the dough modeling activity and a mathematical skills assessment form for early childhood children. The statistics used were percentage, mean, SD., and paired t-Test. The study's findings indicated that the dough modeling activity helped first-year preschoolers improve their mathematical abilities, with statistical significance at the .01 level, and develop important basic mathematical skills in each of the four skills: sequencing, counting, measuring, and categorizing. The children's mathematical skill levels were significantly higher than before the development at a statistical level of .01.
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