Identifying preverbal children’s mathematical conceptions through bishop's reframed mathematical activities

Abstract

Preverbal children demonstrate and develop mathematical conceptions as they engage with and investigate their environment. This engagement may involve navigating the environment or self-initiated play, neither of which includes an adult or educator interacting with the child. This paper applies Bishop’s (1988, 1991) mathematical activities, as reframed by Cooke and Jay (2021), to identify the mathematical conceptions preverbal children are engaging in during self-initiated play within their environment. Limitations of this approach are considered.