Developing Children's Mathematical Graphics Supporting Early Mathematical Thinking

Developing Children's Mathematical Graphics is a comprehensive resource offering a complete framework for providing flexible professional development. The pack will help those leading professional development to support early years practitioners and teachers in developing their understanding of children's mathematical graphics by:

• Appreciating young children's early use of graphical marks and representations, and their relationship to children's emerging understanding of the abstract symbolic language of mathematics
• Recognizing and beginning to understand children's mathematical graphics
• Developing effective pedagogy and practice

Elizabeth Carruthers and Maulfry Worthington challenge the traditional beliefs and practices of teaching 'written' mathematics in early childhood. They look at the power of children's own marks, symbols and other graphical representations to convey meanings, exploring how they support complex thinking. The authors explore the relationship between children's play and meaning making. Rather than viewing mathematics as a separate subject or as a set of basic 'skills' to be transmitted, they demonstrate that in supportive learning cultures children develop their own mathematical thinking to solve problems.

The pack includes:

• A copy of the book Children's Mathematical Graphics: Beginnings in Play giving a theoretical underpinning and context to children's mathematical thinking through their own mathematical graphics
• An A4 CPD booklet outlining in detail numerous sessions which can be used flexibly for professional development - including prompts for discussion and activities, learning points, photocopiable materials and guidance on how to run the sessions
• A CD comprising of powerpoint slides, examples and resources to include in the CPD sessions
• Laminated examples of children's graphics with short written explanations

This resource pack is designed for early years settings and early years and primary mathematics advisors working in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. It is an invaluable source of guidance on harnessing the beginnings of written mathematics and the resource pack has the capacity, in a fairly fundamental way, to help change the way we think about and approach early mathematical development.