Abstract:

According to the curriculum in mathematics for first grade in the Republic of Bulgaria, the curriculum is divided into six topics: "Natural numbers from 1 to 5 and 0. Addition and subtraction within 5", "Numbers from 6 to 10. Addition and subtraction within 10”, “Numbers from 11 to 20”, “Addition and subtraction within 20 without regrouping”, “Addition and subtraction within 20 with regrouping” and “Numbers 10, 20, 30, …, 100”. Addition and subtraction within 20, 30,…, 100”. The research work covers the first two topics.

This paper aims to present a developed and experimented interactive game simulator, which is used to strengthen and improve the competencies of 7 – 8-year-old students, defined in the first two topics of the compulsory mathematics curriculum for first grade.

The experiment involved 150 first-graders, divided into two groups - experimental and control. The training of the experimental group integrates the game simulator, including games created in the digital online platform learningapps.org.

When measuring the effectiveness of the application of the interactive game simulator, the main criterion is the degree to which the first-graders have mastered the competencies: knowledge of the numbers from 0 to 10 and of the arithmetic operations of addition and subtraction within 10 using ten main indicators.
The results of the experimental study are presented applying quantitative and qualitative analysis.

The result of the experiment unequivocally proves that the application of the interactive game simulator favours the 7 – 8-year-old students’ conscious acquisition of the competencies: knowledge of the quantitative characteristics of numbers up to 10 and their notation with digits; understanding the principle of constructing the sequence of natural numbers and counting to 10 forwards, backwards and with ordinal numbers; comparing numbers up to 10; representation of numbers up to 10 as a sum of two numbers; addition and subtraction within 10; addition of three or more numbers; oral solving of word problems with one calculation using addition or subtraction; knowledge of the unit of mass - kilogram and its designation (kg); value recognition of the coins of 1 stotinka, 2 stotinki, 5 stotinki, 10 stotinki, 1 lev and 2 levs and the banknotes of 5 levs and 10 levs (the currency in the Republic of Bulgaria); addition and subtraction with the studied units of measurement.

The use of electronic game-based learning content supports the consolidation and improvement of the competencies: knowledge of the numbers from 0 to 10 and of the arithmetic operations of addition and subtraction with them. The acquisition of these competencies serves as a basis for easier mastery of knowledge in the subsequent topics of the curriculum in the first grade.

Keywords:

Primary mathematics education, e-learning content, addition and subtraction of numbers from 0 to 10.