Multimodal expressions of mathematical thinking in play-based contexts: Recognising young children’s mathematical competence beyond numbers

Abstract

Early mathematical thinking is often missed when assessment focuses only on numbers and symbols. This article explores how young children express mathematical ideas through multiple modes in play-based contexts, including gesture, drawing, construction, movement, and interaction with materials. Drawing on social semiotics, embodied learning, and play-based pedagogy, this article highlights how children engage in mathematical thinking and communication through pattern, spatial reasoning, symmetry, and problem solving. The analysis emphasises the importance of teacher noticing and intentional responses in recognising and extending these moments. It also foregrounds culturally and linguistically diverse ways of knowing, arguing for a broader, more inclusive understanding of early mathematical competence grounded in everyday activity.

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