Page 408 - Štemberger Tina, Čotar Konrad Sonja, Rutar Sonja, Žakelj Amalija. Ur. 2022. Oblikovanje inovativnih učnih okolij. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem
P. 408
ja M. Maričić, Jasna M. Maksimović, and Mirjana M. Stakić
teacher’s job becomes a challenge even for himself, and planning, organisa-
tion and realisation of teaching gets increasingly complex. Success of such
work greatly depends on the teacher’s willingness to accept different stu-
dents, and his ability to provide access to knowledge, skills and information
for all students by creating a safe and didactically and methodologically de-
signed environment where each student will be able to learn (Maksimović
2017). This paper draws attention to the picture book as a didactic device
and describes how it can be used for teaching students who exhibit learning
difficulties in mathematics and Serbian language at the beginning of educa-
tion to achieve effects in the adoption of both subjects, while simultaneously
representing an integrative element of learning. The importance of this ap-
proach is confirmed by research the results of which state that when math-
ematics is integrated with literacy, students who are not typically ‘good’ at
math frequently excel in the subject (Worley 2002) and that ‘preschool chil-
dren with disabilities increased their skills in math after an intervention inte-
grating mathematics within children’s literature’ (Green 2014, 137).
The contribution of the picture book in the field of learning the Serbian
language is unmistakable. However, it should also be noted that mathemat-
ics, ‘although at first glance, looks like a science which is built on a purely
abstract level, is actually the science that operates exclusively with symbols,
whose language is a system of special signs (symbols) understandable to ev-
eryone, and is certainly built in a real context’ (Maričić, Stakić, and Malinović-
Jovanović 2018, 639). The picture book is precisely what provides this real
context in which a simple picture with compelling illustrations catches at-
tention of the student, he is absorbed in the content of the picture, his per-
ception and attention are captured and he starts to learn, and all this applies
to children with learning disabilities as well. Research also confirms this fact,
because research results state that picture books help children become en-
gaged in mathematics without having to resort to explicit instructions and
references, i.e. content from children’s literature in the form of stories rep-
resents ‘the most natural package of organised knowledge in the cognitive
system for acquiring and retaining information’ (Casey et al. 2008, 276).
In order to fulfil their function in education, ‘it is important to choose the
picture books properly. The educator must select carefully the picture book
bearing in mind, above all, the aim that he wants to achieve in the field of
mathematics learning’ (Maričić, Stakić, and Malinović-Jovanović 2018, 634).
Due to limited amount of space, the paper presents only two examples which
illustrate the function a picture book can achieve in the field of mathemat-
ics education and Serbian language, especially in the case of children with
408
teacher’s job becomes a challenge even for himself, and planning, organisa-
tion and realisation of teaching gets increasingly complex. Success of such
work greatly depends on the teacher’s willingness to accept different stu-
dents, and his ability to provide access to knowledge, skills and information
for all students by creating a safe and didactically and methodologically de-
signed environment where each student will be able to learn (Maksimović
2017). This paper draws attention to the picture book as a didactic device
and describes how it can be used for teaching students who exhibit learning
difficulties in mathematics and Serbian language at the beginning of educa-
tion to achieve effects in the adoption of both subjects, while simultaneously
representing an integrative element of learning. The importance of this ap-
proach is confirmed by research the results of which state that when math-
ematics is integrated with literacy, students who are not typically ‘good’ at
math frequently excel in the subject (Worley 2002) and that ‘preschool chil-
dren with disabilities increased their skills in math after an intervention inte-
grating mathematics within children’s literature’ (Green 2014, 137).
The contribution of the picture book in the field of learning the Serbian
language is unmistakable. However, it should also be noted that mathemat-
ics, ‘although at first glance, looks like a science which is built on a purely
abstract level, is actually the science that operates exclusively with symbols,
whose language is a system of special signs (symbols) understandable to ev-
eryone, and is certainly built in a real context’ (Maričić, Stakić, and Malinović-
Jovanović 2018, 639). The picture book is precisely what provides this real
context in which a simple picture with compelling illustrations catches at-
tention of the student, he is absorbed in the content of the picture, his per-
ception and attention are captured and he starts to learn, and all this applies
to children with learning disabilities as well. Research also confirms this fact,
because research results state that picture books help children become en-
gaged in mathematics without having to resort to explicit instructions and
references, i.e. content from children’s literature in the form of stories rep-
resents ‘the most natural package of organised knowledge in the cognitive
system for acquiring and retaining information’ (Casey et al. 2008, 276).
In order to fulfil their function in education, ‘it is important to choose the
picture books properly. The educator must select carefully the picture book
bearing in mind, above all, the aim that he wants to achieve in the field of
mathematics learning’ (Maričić, Stakić, and Malinović-Jovanović 2018, 634).
Due to limited amount of space, the paper presents only two examples which
illustrate the function a picture book can achieve in the field of mathemat-
ics education and Serbian language, especially in the case of children with
408
