Children\'s Mathematics

Figure 6.1 Melanie’s ladybird

in neat little parcels in such a way. Young children also make meaning through

actions, thought, role-play, dens, cut-outs, models, marks, bricks and blocks (Athey,

1990; Gura, 1992; Kress ,1997; Pahl, 1999a).

Early explorations with marks

Putting things in a bag

I was working in the nursery with a group of children and set out a selection of baskets

with corks, shells, conkers, coins and fir cones. Nearby I put small bags, different sized

paper bags and a variety of small boxes. The following example is a transitional piece,

linking play with objects and some marks made by one child about some of the

objects. The child then used his paper with marks as an object in its own right.

As the children filled and emptied containers they used mathematical language

that I supported – ‘inside; full; empty; enough; more’ and number words.There

were paper and pens nearby and of the ten children in the group, Cody, 3:5, and

one other child decided to make some marks.

Cody picked up several items and drew round them (Figure 6.2). As I watched,

he then carefully screwed up his paper. Next he put the paper inside one of the

paper bags which already held several bottle tops and a fir cone.

Making sense of children’s mathematical graphics 93

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