From everyday to scientific (mathematical) concepts : a Vygotskian interpretation of a young child’s speech

Abstract

In Early Childhood settings, children are considered to learn through play. In this paper I report on a case-study of a four-year-old boy playing with loose parts. As he played, I interacted with him by commenting and asking questions. My aim was to include mathematics in his play. My analysis involved a micro-examination of the interaction to trace the child’s language over the sessions. The theoretical framework employed was Vygotsky’s distinction between everyday and scientific concepts and his theory of play. I noted that the interactive contexts supported the child to use certain words in association with others. In particular, he started to link the words big/small with numbers, thus quantifying size, which is the foundation of measurement. In line with the importance afforded to speech by Vygotsky, I was able to trace the role played by words in the child’s progression from everyday (play) concepts to scientific (mathematical) concepts.