PUPPET ANIMATED BY ACTOR IN THE FUNCTION OF ACQUIRING OF THE INITIAL MATHEMATICAL CONCEPTS

Abstract

The research of the puppet animated by actor in the function of acquiring of the initial mathematical concepts confirmed the basic hypothesis: puppet is important for the adoption of initial math ematical concepts and in that function can be successfully applied. The paper has revealed a new aspect of the application of the puppet in the function of acquiring mathematical concepts, as an active performer of their representation (and not, as usual, a mediator).The results of the research, which sample was the children puppet program of Television of Belgrade, pointed to significance of puppet in the function of acquiring of the initial mathematical concepts on TV and that it is suitable for successful representation of the majority of the initial mathematical concepts. The paper provides the best examples (the parts of puppet scenarios, the photographs of puppets, puppet scenographies and mise-en-scènes) of the application of the puppet’ potentials and peculiarities in the function of acquiring of the initial mathematical concepts. These are: gathering, size’variations, classification (by color, shape, size), correspondence (association, arrangement, matching), sorting, counting, addition, subtraction, differentiation of concepts left and right, whole and half, reversibility, conservation, measures and measurement.All elements of art of puppetry are potentially in the function of adoptions mathematics for preschoolers. Developing children’s speech, the puppet helps understanding of words’ precise meanings, verbalization of transformation, movement and interaction in space and time. The puppet scenarios are interesting, full of twists and turns, dramatic, dynamic and abound in problem situations. Puppet characters are simplified and typical, but original, exciting and familiar to children who can easily and happily identify with them. The puppet often embodies geometric bodies, and it’ design contains geometric shapes. The puppet scenography represents an aesthetically designed limited space for mathematical operations, which are also used in it’ creation. Puppet animation makes many mathematical operations and concepts feasible, obvious and understandable for child (e.g. general shape of commutativity). Puppet mise-en-scene enables children’s perception of spatial representation. Puppet direction, representing coordination of spatiotemporal actions and kinematic organization of in puppets, can replace the real manipulation with objects, represent reversible process and accelerate the creation of the geometric intuitions and concepts of conservation. We propose the use of puppet as an active performer of representation of the initial mathematical concepts in working with preschool children. We recommend that the best examples of the application of puppet (the parts of puppet’ scenarios, the photographs of puppets, puppet scenographies and mise-en-scenes), given in this work, to be used in institutionalized VOR (directly or as an inspiration for original puppet texts, scenographies and mise-en-scènes).