What are
‘children’s mathematical graphics’?
We originated
this term to describe children's own choice of
marks that they use to explore their
mathematical thinking on paper (and with other
media). They use a range
of visual representations that may include
scribbles, drawings, writing, iconic marks, invented
(personal) symbols and standard symbols.
Children use marks on paper (and other media) to
represent, think about and communicate languages
and meaning and to form specific symbols of
those languages including the written language
of mathematics: see for example
Gallery 1. Vygotsky
referred to written symbols as ‘symbolic’ or
‘cultural tools’) - and van Oers describes
mathematics as a subject as ‘really a matter of
problem solving with symbolic tools’ (van Oers,
2001a, p. 63).
Since
Martin
Hughes’s (1986) publication Children and Number:
Difficulties in Learning Mathematics there has
been a small but growing interest in what has
variously been termed ‘emergent mathematics’,
‘mathematical literacy’; ‘mathematics with
reason’ and what we term mathematical graphics.
Our work on
children’s mathematical graphics grew from our
experiences as teachers of young children as we
supported their early, emergent or developmental writing (known
as 'process writing' in New Zealand). A keen
desire to answer the question: ‘what is it you
believe you must do deliberately to
support children’s mathematical understanding’
(Gulliver, 1992) continues to guide our
research. |