initial shock, then you sort out whether you accept it or not. I decided this criticism of
my mathematics teaching was a fair comment, but what was more difficult to under-
stand was the visitor’s suggestion of applying the same learning principles to mathe-
matics that I did with literacy. Since 1990 both of us were able to develop this idea
with others who were also struggling with this concept, but wanted to find out more:
thus the Exeter Emergent Mathematics Teachers’ group was born (see Chapter 1).
In this chapter we review children’s literacy development and make links to math-
ematical development since it is from this basis and view of children’s learning that
we began our journey into a better way of teaching mathematics.Young children explore symbols
Newman (1984, p. 12) proposes that ‘from an early age, young children expect
written language to make sense’ and show ‘their amazing ability to coordinate the
meaning they want to express with the form appropriate for expressing it’. Chil-
dren’s ability to link early marks with meaning and to communicate through these
marks is an important stage in becoming writers (and mathematicians). These early
marks will not look like standard letters or numerals. As Newman argues: ‘the notion
that their scribbles are merely random marks on paper must, I think, be replaced by
an understanding of how these early writing attempts are intentional efforts by
children to create and share meaning’ (Newman, 1984, p. 12).Alex’s eagles and the ‘pocket money bread’
To encourage the children to write letters I had arranged that they could write to
children of the same age in another school in the city. Alex’s schema concerns were
revealed in the development of his writing (see Figure 4.1).
Alex used both the first letter of his name and his full name. The strong shape of
the capital ‘H’ is similar to the ‘A’ of his name: both letters need either strong verti-
cal or oblique lines. Lower down on the page he joined three capital ‘As’ and then aAlex, 4:7, was interested in things high above him. One day he repeatedly told us
a dramatic story about his father falling off a ladder: we found out later that it
was an invented story.When the window cleaner came to school Alex watched
him working for a long time. In the same week Alex wrote a letter to his mum
using many capital ‘Hs’.Towards the end of his letter he joined a string of ‘Hs’, like
a fence or a ladder on its side. He was interested in making things: a ‘machine to
make bubbles’, ‘a space rocket’, several planes and a kite – all things that move
above the earth. Next he told stories about huge eagles – birds unknown in
southern England – which he had watched fly away with various items. A pattern
seemed to be emerging: Alex was interested in vertical movement,trajectories and
grids, and these movements and forms were mirrored at the time in his writing.
He was also exploring containing and envelopingat this time.58 Children’s Mathematics8657part 1b.qxd 04/07/2006 18:08 Page 58