Foundations of Mathematical Thinking · Senior Infants

Active learning ideas

Fast and Slow

Active learning works for this topic because young children grasp speed best when they experience motion with their whole bodies. Moving like different animals and objects helps them connect abstract ideas to concrete actions, building lasting understanding of speed and time.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA: Junior Cycle - Number - N.10

• 20–35 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Experiential Learning
• 30 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Animal Speed Line-Up

Display animal pictures or toys. Children stand and mimic each animal's speed across the room one by one. Discuss and order them from slowest to fastest on a class chart.

Which animal do you think is faster , a snail or a rabbit?

Facilitation Tip

During Animal Speed Line-Up, invite children to physically act out each animal’s movement before placing their picture on the line.

What to look for

Place two toy cars at a starting line. Ask students to predict which car will reach the end first. Then, push them simultaneously and ask: 'Which car was faster? How do you know?' Observe their reasoning and vocabulary.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Experiential Learning
• 25 min · Pairs

Pairs: Slow and Fast Timers

Partners take turns moving slowly then quickly to a mark 5 steps away. The other claps to count approximate time. Switch roles and compare clap counts.

Can you move across the room slowly, then quickly , what is the difference?

Facilitation Tip

For Slow and Fast Timers, model how to use the stopwatch and space the activities so children have time to observe and record each other.

What to look for

Give each child a card with a picture of a snail and a rabbit. Ask them to draw an arrow showing which animal is faster and to circle the word 'fast' or 'slow' that describes the rabbit's movement.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Experiential Learning
• 35 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Toy Car Races

Groups build gentle and steep ramps with books. Roll cars down each and observe which is faster. Record with drawings: fast car or slow car.

Which takes longer , walking to the door or running to the door?

Facilitation Tip

In Toy Car Races, set clear starting lines with masking tape and allow multiple trials so children see patterns in speed.

What to look for

Ask students: 'Imagine you are walking to the classroom door, and then you run to the classroom door. What is different about your movement? Which way took less time? Why?' Listen for their use of speed vocabulary and understanding of time.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Experiential Learning
• 20 min · Individual

Individual: My Speed Diary

Children draw paths they took fast or slow at home or school. Label with words like 'quick run' or 'slow crawl' and share one with the class.

Which animal do you think is faster , a snail or a rabbit?

Facilitation Tip

For My Speed Diary, provide sentence starters like 'I moved slow when...' to support early writers.

What to look for

Place two toy cars at a starting line. Ask students to predict which car will reach the end first. Then, push them simultaneously and ask: 'Which car was faster? How do you know?' Observe their reasoning and vocabulary.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers approach this topic by connecting movement to measurable outcomes, using simple tools like stopwatches and strings to make abstract ideas tangible. Avoid rushing through activities; give children time to repeat trials and observe differences. Research suggests that repeated, hands-on comparisons help solidify understanding of speed before introducing formal measurements.

Successful learning looks like children using precise speed vocabulary to describe their actions, comparing movements with peers, and explaining why some things move faster or slower over the same or different distances.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Animal Speed Line-Up, watch for children assuming larger animals are always faster. Redirect by placing small, fast-moving insect toys next to large snail toys and asking, 'Which moves faster? What helps us know?'

  Use the line-up activity to contrast clear examples like a cheetah and a snail, then ask children to explain their choices using evidence from the animals’ movements.

• During Toy Car Races, watch for children thinking speed is only about time, ignoring distance traveled. Redirect by marking two different-length race tracks with string and asking, 'Which car went farther in the same time? What does that tell us about speed?'

  After races, ask children to compare distances covered by each car and discuss why distance matters when measuring speed.

• During Slow and Fast Timers, watch for children believing fast motion covers ground instantly. Redirect by having them observe a rolling ball pushed with different strengths over a marked distance and recording gradual changes.

  Use the timers to track the ball’s movement step-by-step, asking children to describe the motion as steady or changing and link it to their observations.

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Methods used in this brief

• Experiential Learning