The teachers in our study of perceptions of creativity and mathematics had a point
when emphasising resources (see p. 34), but resources alone will not lead to creative
mathematical thinking or support meaning making. Well resourced learning areas
are important and it is vital that children have open access and extended periods of
time to explore and make personal meanings. Greater prominence needs to be given
to the importance of both visual representations and multi-modality in the play-
based Foundation Stage curriculum. A well resourced learning environment with
open-ended opportunities for activities that include role play, junk modelling,
drawing and painting can support all of children’s meaning making, including their
early writing and mathematical graphics. Moyles describes how, using adult-directed
and child-initiated learning, the adult’s role can enhance and enrich children’s free
play through a ‘play spiral’ (Moyles, 1989, p. 15). This access to rich learning envi-
ronments allows ‘play to be “potentially an excellent learning medium”’, (Moyles,
1989, p. 17).Further Reading
Case studies- Atkinson, S. (1992) Maths with Reason.London: Hodder and Stoughton.
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