Physical activity and music to support pre-school children's mathematics learning

The study compares how well two different teaching methods help kindergarten children to learn mathematics. One teaching method, ‘Math in action’ (MIA), combines learning mathematics with physical activity and music. The second teaching method, ‘Common numeral activities in preschool’ (CNA), is based on more traditional mathematics teaching. The study also investigates how children with different motor skills respond to the two different teaching methods. The authors present two hypotheses and a research question: 1) Children who learn mathematics in an environment of physical activity and music develop significantly better numeracy skills than children who learn mathematics through regular numeracy activities. 2) There is a correlation between children’s motor skills and numeracy skills. 3) To what extent will children with different motor skills benefit from learning mathematics when teaching is combined with physical activity and music?

The study shows that pre-school children who learn mathematics with the help of physical activity and music develop numeracy skills significantly better than children who receive more traditional mathematics teaching. The authors also claim that children with good motor skills find it easier to learn mathematics. This applies to both the group taught using MIA and the group that received CNA teaching. Children with good motor skills and children with motor skill challenges both developed better numeracy skills after being taught with MIA than the same type of children in the group who received CNA teaching. 

The study used a sample of 53 children from the same kindergarten who were divided between the two different teaching methods. None of the children had previously participated in formal mathematics teaching. The children’s numeracy and motor skills were both tested before and after the teaching period. To ensure that the two different groups were as similar as possible at the start, children with good numeracy and motor skills were mixed with children who received lower scores on the pre-tests and/or had motor skill challenges. 

Elofsson, J., Bohm, A. E., Jeppsson, C. & Samuelsson, J. (2018). "Physical activity and music to support pre-school children's mathematics learning". Education 3-13, 46(5):483-493.