Child-Initiated Mathematical Patterning in the Pre-Compulsory Years.

Abstract

This paper addresses the nature of child-initiated episodes of mathematical patterning prior to formal schooling. In a multi-site case study, children’s engagement in mathematical patterning experiences was investigated as was the teachers ’ involvement and influence in these experiences. A conceptual framework was used to guide the examination of how children generate, engage in, and direct mathematical patterning activity. The analysis of two child-initiated patterning episodes revealed that they provide rich learning opportunities for both the children who initiate the episodes and their peers who share the episodes. The results also highlight the important role of the teacher in fostering children’s patterning development. BACKGROUND Educators and mathematicians have emphasized the importance of pattern in mathematics and acknowledge its essential role in the development of mathematical knowledge, concepts and processes. In fact, Steen (1990) argued that “Mathematics is the science and language of pattern” (p. 5). Pattern exploration has been identified as a central construct of mathematical inquiry and as a fundamental element of children’s mathematical growth (Burns, 2000; Clemson & Clemson, 1994; Heddens & Speer, 2001; NCTM, 2000). The years prior to formal schooling (pre-compulsory education and care services) are widely recognised as a period of profound developmental change, where many mathematical concepts begin (Clements, 2000; Ginsburg, 1997). The salient role of patterning in the development of mathematical knowledge is evident in its inclusion in various

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