ACTION RESEARCH

PRE-SCHOOL

ARMY PUBLIC SCHOOL - COD

Army Public School - COD

Action Research

IMPACT OF SERIATION IN EARLY YEARS

Submitted to

Mam Naureen Fatima

Submitted by:

Mrs. Farah Afaq

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction
2. Literature review
3. Theoretical Framework
3.1 Sensorial
3.2 EPL
4. Research Methodology
4.1 Qualitative research
4.1.1 Pink tower
4.1.2 Broad stairs
4.1.3 Making a queue
4.1.4 Tidying up
4.2 Quantitative research
4.2.1 Self-structured questionnaire
5. Methods and procedure
5.1. Data collection
5.2. Data sources and limitations
5.3. Data analysis
6. Findings
7. Conclusions
8. References

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1. INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this research paper is to raise awareness among the students about the concept of seriation
through activities while also incorporating mathematics, EPL (Early Practical Life) and sensorial periods
into my teachings. Every child has the potential to arrange objects into categories however, sometimes
they are not made aware of this concept which affects their cognitive development. J. W. Piaget in his
theory of cognitive development initially proposed the concept of seriation which can be defined as the
ability to sort objects or situations according to any characteristic, such as size, color, shape or type. For
example, the child would be able to look at his plate of mixed fruits and eat everything except the
watermelon.
Seriation is a mental skill that children learn in their early life ( Mcilroy, n.d.; Hendrik , 1990). It grows
in tandem with other cognitive abilities including matching, sorting, and learning about cause-and-effect
relationships. A child who understands seriation will be able to solve increasingly difficult circumstances
with ease. Seriation skills that are well-developed help a youngster develop higher-order thinking and
problem-solving abilities. A child will be able to compare himself to others, resulting in a speedier
establishment of a sense of identity or self-concept. Understanding the notion of seriation helps a
youngster assess, evaluate, and seek solutions to any complex problem. Seriation also helps youngsters
learn mathematics because it is essential for comprehending the relationships between numbers and thus
learning arithmetic.

2. LITERATURE REVIEW

Seriation is the ability to arrange objects in order of magnitude or number. When we include numbers
altogether, we are exhibiting our ability to seriate, in light of the fact that numbers represent in abstract
or generic form, specific quantities of things. At the point when we include numbers altogether, we are
including numbers so as to organize them so that the number we name immediately after another number
will always represent a larger quantity of things than the previous number did (Cognitive Development:
Piaget Part III, n.d.).
Seriation (or sorting) was one of the key tasks used by Piaget to investigate the development of children’s
thinking (Mareschal & Shultz, 1999). It is by and large considered to result from sequential, emblematic
handling in which the child gets a bunch of strategies and afterwards figures out how and when to apply
them to create an arranged series. Various sequential, emblematic computational models of child's
performance on seriation assignments have been developed to depict the hidden data handling
(Mareschal & Shultz, 1999). In the lab, Piaget tested child's seriation by demonstrating the way that they
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could organize sticks of various lengths into order from the smallest to the largest (Piaget,
1971). However, children might also demonstrate their mastery of seriation by spontaneously arranging
their stuffed animals or army toys from smallest to biggest on their bedroom shelf.
In day-to-day existence, kids frequently utilize their seriation abilities in school settings. Seriation is a
fundamental ability, without which kids can't advance in math and science. You cannot appreciate what
it means to measure the length or mass of something, for example (measurement being fundamental to
all scientific endeavors) if you are incapable of reliably arranging things in order of their magnitude.
Piaget likewise accepted that kids in center youth ace various levelled arrangements; the capacity to sort
things into general and more unambiguous gatherings, utilizing various kinds of correlations all the
while. Most children foster various levelled arrangement capacities between the ages of 7 and 10. For
instance, kids who gather superhero trading cards could possibly sort their cards by good-guy/bad-guy
status, orientation, and specific classification of superhuman powers. The capacity to perform
progressive characterization is extremely valuable to kids in school, as they comprehend and value
science and social examination ideas which include making simply such correlations, for example,
arranging living animals into various gatherings in light of whether they are creatures or plants, and so
on.

3. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK:

3.1 Sensorial:
The Sensorial area of the Montessori classroom is intended to help children develop their
skills in seriation and organization. Each hands-on exercise directs the child's focus to a
single quality, such as colour, weight, shape, size, texture, sound, or scent. Children learn
through experiences, and through participating in Montessori Sensorial activities, children
are able to visually discriminate between sizes and order. Visual discrimination activities
in Montessori Sensorial include The Pink Tower, The Red Rods, The Broad Stair, Knobbed
Cylinders, and others.

3.2 EPL:
EPL, or practical life activities, are intended to simulate real-world experiences that
children will encounter in their daily lives. The tasks, which range from tidying up to
making a queue, are intended to help children develop fine motor abilities, organization
skills, and seriation skills. Each activity is goal-directed and involves clear steps, thus
allowing children to practice their seriation skills.
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4. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The study is exploratory and includes both quantitative and qualitative data but the major part
was based on qualitative analysis as I believe it would be a great fit as I get to study the behavior
of students while conducting these experiments. Qualitative data was collected in the classroom
for the aim of this study. One of the drawbacks of qualitative content analysis is that it can be
difficult to study and interpret the behavior of students because it may contain multiple
variables. I was aware of these drawbacks, but I believe that the benefits outweigh the
drawbacks.

4.1. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH:

4.1.1 Pink Tower:

The scientifically designed Pink Tower found in the classroom's Sensorial Area was created
by Maria Montessori. The cubes in the Pink Tower are the same colour, shape, and texture.
They are designed in this manner so that the child can only focus on the size of the material.
The Pink Tower is a Montessori material that assists children in learning abstract
mathematical concepts like spatial volume (seriation based on size).

4.1.2 Broad Stairs:

Maria Montessori designed the broad stairs. The Montessori School Brown Stair, also known
as the Broad Stair, is designed to help children learn about size variations, measurements and
mathematical sequences. Ten thick red wooden rods make up the structure. It assists children
in seriating between wide and narrow.

4.1.3 Making a queue:

Making a queue benefits children in learning about size differences. To form a queue,
children must be able to seriate according to their heights (from smallest to tallest), which
aids in the learning of abstract mathematical concepts such as measurements and arithmetic
sequences.

4.1.4 Tidying up:

Children gain a better understanding of where things belong when they are taught to organize
their belongings. For example: putting away the blocks on the shelf or hanging the clothes in
order of length helps children develop categorization, literacy and numeracy skills.
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4.2. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH:

4.2.1 Self-Administered Questionnaire:

To gain deeper insight into the subject matter, I developed a self-administered

questionnaire keeping the research goal in mind. The questionnaire includes the parents
expressing their views about their children’s ability to be able to seriate.

5. METHODS AND PROCEDURES:

5.1. Data collection

This paper adopts both primary and secondary methods for data collection. Two types of
primary research have been conducted i.e., self-administered questionnaires from parents
to identify the impact of seriation in children’s daily life. We also reviewed secondary data
sources such as digital content, websites, and reports. We looked for relevant information
to our research questions.
5.1.1 Data sources and limitations:

DATA SOURCES:

A. Primary Data Sources:

● Class Observations
● In-depth questionnaire

B. Secondary Data Sources:

● Research Papers
● Articles
● Webpages
DATA LIMITATION:

● In-person interviews with the parents are more accurate but require more resources to
conduct them such as time and availability. Therefore, lack of time was also a constraint
in collecting data and information.
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6. FINDINGS:

6.1. QUESTIONNAIRE FINDINGS:

Question: Is he/she able to prioritize his/her morning routine?

Figure: 6.1.1

ANALYSIS: Based on the responses from the student’s parents conducted in this survey,
almost 93.8%. Students can prioritize their morning routine. However, 6.3% are currently
unable to do so.
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Question: Can he/she differentiate between big, bigger, biggest objects?

Figure: 6.1.2

ANALYSIS: According to the results of this survey, all students can recognize the difference
between big/bigger and biggest objects.

Question: Is he/she able to observe pictures and arrange the story in sequence?

Figure: 6.1.3

ANALYSIS: Based on the responses from the parents in this survey, 78.1% of students can
arrange the story in sequence. On the other hand, 21.9% aren't able to organize the story in
the correct order
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Question: Can he/she arrange the bowls and glasses according to the size (from small to big)?

Figure: 6.1.4

ANALYSIS: 100% of the students in this survey are able to seriate bowls/glasses from the
smallest to biggest.

Question: Can he sort the heavy and lightweight materials from the toy basket?

Figure: 6.1.5

ANALYSIS: In this survey, all students can arrange the objects in the toy basket from
lightweight to heavyweight materials.
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Question: Can he/she keep the stuff like shoes, clothes etc. in the cupboard properly?

Figure: 6.1.6

ANALYSIS: According to this survey, 100% of the students are able to place their shoes and
clothes in the cupboard in their place.

Question: Can he/she arrange the things in order?

Figure: 6.1.7

ANALYSIS: Based on the responses from the parents of the students, 100% of the students
can distinguish items and arrange them in order.

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Summary of findings

The main goal of this research paper was to make students aware of the idea of seriation and
find out how it affects their lives. In my survey, 93.8% of students can prioritize their morning
routine, but only 6.3% are currently unable to do so. This survey's findings indicate that all
students can recognize the difference between objects of different sizes. According to the
results, 78.1% of students could organize the story in sequence, while 21.9% were unable to
arrange the story in the correct order. According to the survey results, all of the students in this
survey can seriate bowls/glasses from smallest to largest. The results from this survey showed
that 100% of the students were able to arrange the objects in the toy basket from lightweight
materials to heavyweight materials. According to this survey, all children can place their shoes
and clothes in the cupboard. Based on replies from children's parents, 100% of the students can
differentiate items and arrange them in sequence.

6.2. CLASS OBSERVATIONS:

6.2.1. Pink Tower:

Figure: 6.2.1

During the pink tower activity, I observed that nearly 70% of the students were able to construct
the pink tower on their own, while the remaining 30% required assistance. They were able to
build the pink tower after some reinforcement.

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6.2.2. Broad Stairs:

Figure: 6.2.2

During the broad stair sensory task, about 60% of the kids were able to discriminate the prisms
and correctly assemble them. 40% were unable to distinguish the prisms. After reinforcing the
broad stair concept a couple of times through flash cards and real life examples, they were able
to do it.

6.2.3. Tidy Up:

Figure: 6.2.3 (a) Figure: 6.2.3 (b)

To conduct the activity of tidying up, I asked the students to pack their bags as well as throw
trash in the dustbin after lunch. All the students were able to pack their bags without any aid.
During the lunch break, I saw that 90% of the children could do the task without encouragement,
while 10% of the students required prompting.

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6.2.4. Making a Queue:

Figure: 6.2.4

Almost half of the kids were able to form a queue without assistance. However, the others required
some guidance at first before being able to make a queue based on their height on their own.

7. CONCLUSIONS:

Seriation is a mental skill that children learn in their early life. In the theory of cognitive
development, J. W. Piaget first proposed the idea of seriation. Seriation develops at the same rate as
other cognitive abilities like matching, sorting, and learning about relationships between causes and
effects. A child's ability to develop higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills is aided by well-
developed seriation skills. I carried out qualitative and quantitative research with the intention of
determining the effect that seriation has on the lives of children. Secondary data is also collected to
emphasize the significance of this aspect. The findings indicate that almost all students are able to
place their shoes and clothing in the closet and differentiate between items based on size and weight.
93.8% of students were able to prioritize their morning routine, whereas nearly 6.3% of students
weren't able to do so. 78.1% of students could organize the story in sequence, while 21.9% weren’t
able to arrange the story in the correct order. I also conducted some class experiments to see if the
students could apply seriation in real life, making a queue or tidying up. The findings of this study
will help educators gain a deeper comprehension of how children perceive seriation so that children
can better comprehend seriation and incorporate it into their daily lives.

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REFERENCES

Mcilroy, T. (n.d.). 14 Hands-On Seriation Activities for Preschoolers. Retrieved from Empowered
Parents: https://empoweredparents.co/seriation-activities-for-preschoolers/

Cognitive Development: Piaget Part III. (n.d.). Retrieved from MentalHelp.net:

https://www.mentalhelp.net/cognitive-development/piaget-part-iii

Hendrik , H. (1990). Total Learning: Developmental Curriculum for the Young Child. Third Edition.
New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.

Mareschal, D., & Shultz, T. (1999). Development of Children's Seriation: A Connectionist

Approach. Connection Science.
Piaget, J. W. (1971). Measurement and Piaget. New York: McGraw-Hill.

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APPENDICES

Appendix A: Online Questionnaire:

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Appendix B: Figures:

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GLOSSARY

Abstract: Hypothetical.
Assess: evaluate or estimate the nature, ability, or quality of.
Awareness: knowledge or perception of a situation or fact.
Cause and effect relationship: one or more things happen as a result of something else.
Characteristic: quality.
Circumstances: a fact or condition connected with or relevant to an event or action.
Comprehending: understand.
Demonstrating: clearly show the existence or truth of (something) by giving proof or evidence.
Depict: describe.
Emblematic: serving as a symbol of a particular quality or concept.
Endeavours: try hard to do or achieve something.
Exhibiting: display.
Fine motor abilities: coordination between a child's small muscles, like those in their hands, wrists, and
fingers in coordination with their eyes.
Generic: inclusive.
Investigate: carry out research or study into (a subject or problem, typically one in a scientific or academic
field).
Magnitude: extent of something.
Potential: showing the capacity to develop into something in the future.
Reinforcement: support (an object or substance), especially with additional material.
Sequential: forming or following in a logical order or sequence.
Unambiguous: not open to more than one interpretation.
Notion: a conception of or belief about something.
Self-concept: an idea of the self-constructed from the beliefs one holds about oneself and the responses of
others.
Tandem: in combination.

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