Children\'s Mathematics

and English (Kenner, 2004a and b; Kenner and Kress, 2003); Hebrew or Arabic and

English (Mor-Sommerfield, 2002); and Pahari or Urdu and English (Drury, 2000) and

is described by Mor-Sommerfield as a language mosaicthat ‘ultimately creates a

coherent (new) form’ (2002, p. 99). Such studies are revealing those ways in which

children combine aspects of both their first and second languages, allowing them to

engage in transformative thinking(Kenner, 2004a, p. 35) and to becomebi-literate.

Research on bi-literacy is demonstrating that young children draw on what they

understand of their first written language as they develop understanding of a second

written language. In a similar way in emergent writing, children gradually combine their

own informal marks and understanding with standard symbols and spellings as they

develop content. Our evidence is that young children also draw on their informal math-

ematical marks as they develop understanding of the standard written language of math-

ematics. There has been no equivalent term in mathematics for combining informal and

standard written symbols as in bi-literacy, which is why we use the term bi-numeracy

Deepening our understanding of bilingualism is, John-Steiner asserts, ‘effective,

additive, joyful and competent use of two or more languages – [and] is increasingly

important today for growing numbers of children ... [who] find themselves in alien

lands with little knowledge of the languages spoken around them’ (John-Steiner,

1985, p. 369). For many children mathematics can be an alien land.

Becoming bi-numerate

Using the cultural (symbolic) toolsof mathematical graphics (children’s own and

standard abstract symbols) allows what Rogoff (2003) ‘terms mutual bridging of

meaning’ that can only be acquired through interaction (see also pp. 22–3). In our

model (Figure 5.2) the gap that separates informal and formal mathematics is repre-

sented by the gulf between informal home and abstract school mathematics: this is

both wide and deep. This symbolises the extent of the difficulty that must exist for

Figure 5.2 Bridging the gap

Bridging the gap between home and school mathematics 79

Early childhood

education setting

Home and

community

8657part 1b.qxd 04/07/2006 18:12 Page 79