Karin Franzén

Under Threes' Mathematical Learning.

The article focuses on mathematics for toddlers in preschool, with the aim of challenging a strong learning discourse that mainly focuses on cognitive learning. By devoting more attention to other perspectives on learning, the hope is to better promote childrens early mathematical development. Sweden is one of few countries to have a curriculum for preschool, which includes a provision of promoting childrens mathematical learning. What then might mathematics be to these young children? The article is based on a pilot study in which 13 one- to three-year-old preschool children were observed in play situations. The results show that children often use their bodies as a tool for understanding mathematical concepts. These results are interesting as the body has been virtually invisible in previous research on toddlers and mathematics. The results have been analysed with inspiration from theories that open up for new ways of understanding the learning subject.

Under-threes’ mathematical learning – teachers’ perspectives

This project highlights preschool teachers’ views of toddlers’ learning in mathematics. The Swedish national curriculum covers even the youngest children who are 1–3 years old. Interesting questions are thus: what should mathematics be for this age group and how should preschool teachers work with maths to achieve the curriculum objectives? Data were collected through interviews with six preschool teachers working in four different preschools. The data show that the teachers emphasize the body as very important for the learning process, which means that for these children, it is not a matter of simply talking about mathematical concepts, but experiencing them bodily. The teachers also report that they now pay more attention than previously to what material the children use and how they interact with it. They are more aware of how they organize and offer the various materials in the preschool and how this influences the way children use them and, consequently, their learning processes.

At your service 24/7: preschool managers on their tasks and daily work

This article focuses on Swedish preschool managers’ views of their tasks and daily work: activities, conditions, challenges and ideas on leadership. Five preschool managers were asked to write diar ...