ABSTRACT

Research indicates that the early years are a pivotal time for developing foundational mathematical knowledge, and that early experiences with mathematics have a lasting impact on later numeracy skills and academic achievement. However, the importance of early mathematical thinking and learning is often undervalued or overlooked in early childhood education and care contexts. This paper presents findings on the use of mathematical language in mealtime conversations with children under the age of two. Mealtime conversations between 26 educators and the infants they worked with were recorded, transcribed, and examined for both quantity and diversity of language that include reference to mathematical concepts. The study found that incidental use of mathematical language was related to the amount and diversity of educators’ talk, although patterns of relationships varied depending on the type of mathematical talk under investigation. These findings highlight the potential value of working with educators both to recognise that mathematical thinking occurs in everyday and routine experiences with infants and to become more intentional in supporting and extending this learning.

摘要

研究表明，早年是发展基础数学知识的关键时期，早期的数学经验对以后的计算能力和学业成绩有着持久的影响。然而，在幼儿教育和保育环境中，早期数学思维和学习的重要性往往被低估或忽视。本文介绍了在与两岁以下儿童的进餐对话中使用数学语言的发现。记录、转录了 26 名教育工作者与他们一起工作的婴儿之间的用餐时间对话，并检查了语言的数量和多样性，包括对数学概念的引用。研究发现，偶然使用数学语言与教育者谈话的数量和多样性有关，尽管关系模式因所调查的数学谈话类型而异。这些发现突出了与教育工作者合作的潜在价值，既要认识到数学思维发生在婴儿的日常和日常经历中，又要更加有意识地支持和扩展这种学习。