Children\'s Mathematics

The graphics in Figure 10.7 show Louisa, John and Emily’s confusion:

Figure 10.7a, b and c Louisa, John and Emily (following exampleprovided by the teacher)

Although the four bears and two bears were sitting in front of the children, Peter

had drawn only four bears. Beneath his drawing he had written ‘3 + 2 = 5’

(copied from my example on the flip chart). I asked ‘Can you tell me what you

found out?’ but he looked very puzzled. Although he read ‘3 + 2 is 5’ he was

unable to say what the ‘=’ sign might mean and could not relate his drawings to

his standard calculation or to the six toys sitting in front of him. Clearly, using my

example had really confused Peter.

Marie explained that to arrive at her answer she ‘guessed’. She said that the ‘=’

sign meant ‘adds’ but then looking at where she’d written ‘2 + 4 = 6’ she said ‘Oh!

But 4 plus 6 doesn’t add!’ Seeing another abstract sign (=) she guessed that this

also meant add. Marie knew that ‘+’ could mean add, explaining ‘plusses – it’s

another of bears, more bears’.

Leo read ‘4 + 2 = 6’ as ‘4 plus 2 is 6’: he was unable to explain what ‘plus’ meant

and said that that the ‘=’ symbol meant ‘equals – or plus – I think’.

Developing children’s written methods 207

10.7a 10.7b

10.7c

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