Oliver’s shopping list

     Oliver (4 years, 7 months) chose to write

a shopping list, itemising and referring to

each item or quantity as he wrote.

   Beginning on the right of his paper, his

continuous zigzagging line may have

imitated the action of an adult writing

in longhand, or perhaps it was his 

impression of cursive writing.

• Taxonomy - written number and

         quantities: Early explorations with marks:

        attaching mathematical  meanings

• Quantities

Molly’s birthday
     Molly (3 years, 9 months) was sitting

with a group of friends. There were

birthday cards with ages (numerals) on

them, and blank paper, card and pens

on the table.

    Molly wrote on a card, telling her teacher,

“It says ‘Happy Birthday to Molly”  and added

that she was four. 

     Molly is very keen to be four as many of

her friends are already: this will obviously be

a very important milestone to her.

• Taxonomy - written number and quantities: 

         Early explorations with marks: 

            attaching  mathematical

            meanings

• Measurement: (time, age) and number

Saja's counting

This example shows the lines Saja wrote as

she counted in Arabic, 'Wahid, ithani, 

thelaitha, araba, khumsa' then continuing

in English saying, '"Five' and 'seven."

    Written signs displayed in the learning

environment in other languages will support

those whose first language is not English.

• Taxonomy - written number and

         quantities: Early explorations with marks:

        attaching mathematical  meanings

• Quantities