Children's Mathematical Graphics depend on open and democratic learning cultures, in which children's self-initiated choices, interests and decisions and valued and supported. In such environments, learning cultures allow learning, “to go beyond surface culture towards understanding deep culture” (Wood, 2010, p. 21). 

     Bradbury argues that 'play can be viewed as a counter discourse to [the] emerging, more formal context. Children centred principles and practices [...] should applied to early childhood education and care in England today, self-directed play serving as a means of expressing imagination, creativity and knowledge of the world. By nurturing their inner lives, as well as developing and expressing their understanding, children benefit from symbolic activities such as art, music, drama and imagination. Studies have shown that a broad-based early years curriculum. which emphasise physical, social and emotional as  well as language and communication development, contributes positively to the learning of subjects such as reading, writing and mathematics' (Bradbury, 2024, p. 31).

References

Bradbury, A. (2024) The early years and play: The last bastion for democracy. Democracy & education.  BERA Research Intelligence. Issue 160. Autumn 2024.

Camas Garrido, L. (2018). Children’s play and democratic culture. International Journal of Play, 7(3), 308–321. 

Cameron, C., & Moss, P. (Eds.). (2020). Transforming early childhood in England: Towards a

democratic education. University College.

Carruthers, E. (2020). Mathematical teaching in nursery schools in England: A way forward for

mathematical pretend play and democratic pedagogies. Review of Science, Mathematics and ICT

Education, 14(2), 25-41.

Moss, P. (2014). Transformative change and real utopias in early childhood education. Routledge.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the child (1989). 

Wood, E. (2010). Reconceptualizing the play-pedagogy relationship. In L. Brooker, & S. Edwards

(Eds.), Engaging play (pp. 11-24). Open University.