Children\'s Mathematics

Reading and using mathematical graphics

In these literacy practices, written words, pictures, logos, numbers, advertisements,

charts, timetables, prices, lists, symbols, data, instructions or cartoons may feature. The

text messages sent by mobile-phone users have created a new ‘language’ of communi-

cation. Furthermore, members of a family may be engaged directly in representing

meaning through direct, specific practices such as writing a birthday card, doing

homework or typing a report on the computer. And young children may be involved,

either on the periphery or directly, in any of these (Lave and Wenger, 1991).

In the following examples, Matt, Sovay and Pauline are all learning something

about mathematics within the socio-cultural contexts of their families.

Sovay’s dinner money envelope

My daughter Sovay (aged 2 years and 11 months) likes to imitate her sister. The

family rush around in the morning getting ready for the day. Mhairi, Sovay’s sister,

writes £1.05p on an envelope and puts her name on it with the words ‘dinner

money’. She reads it to Sovay who is sitting beside her. I then open my purse and

count out £1.05p, and give Mhairi the money to put inside the envelope.

After Mhairi leaves for school, Sovay gets an envelope and puts marks on it with

a pen. Sovay tells me ‘Dinner money – £1.00’. I smile and give Sovay some money

to put in her envelope. I ask, ‘Is that enough dinner money?’ Sovay then takes the

money out of the envelope and counts, ‘1, 50, 52, 53’ (Carruthers, 1997c). Sovay is

learning about mathematics from a socio-cultural perspective.

The wider social perspective

A number of features are evident from this incident, showing that Sovay recognised

that:

• you can write down mathematics including numbers and money


• doing this has meaning


• what is inside the envelope relates to what is written outside


• money is important and valued enough to take to school


• money can be counted.

Cultural context of this family

• The mathematics was influenced by the older sibling’s need to communicate with
  the school.


• Sovay knows that money is important.


• Exchanges in the morning centred around who has or has not money for the
  envelope.


• The school’s culture expected dinner money to be brought daily rather than
  weekly.


• Sovay is included in mathematical events in this family.

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