Engaging with mathematics in the kindergarten. Orchestrating a fairy tale through questioning and use of tools.

The purpose of this study is to analyse how an early childhood educator in a Norwegian daycare centre (barnehagen) sets up and stages a mathematical activity through the telling of fairytales.

The study shows that the early childhood educator sets up a mathematical activity for 4-year-old children is by involving the children in the activity. The early childhood educator uses the fairytale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The early childhood educator uses voice, facial expressions and body movements as tools. The study stresses that planning this activity was demanding.

The study concludes that the early childhood educator is able to create an activity which addresses mathematical concepts and ideas, for example knowledge of numbers, sequence of numbers and measurements of dimensions as well as contrasts between hot and cold. Both children and the early childhood educator are taking part in the activity, and this enables the early childhood educator to adjust the mathematical concepts to the children and the situation. This is done by making the concepts the children's own, and by the children seeing and listening to how and in what situations mathematical concepts are used. Furthermore, the early childhood educator's use of facial expression, voice and body movement helps adapt the mathematical concepts to the situation. Moreover, the study concludes that the early childhood educator's teaching is successful as a playful way to implement mathematics at the daycare centre. 

Participants in the study include one early childhood educator and nine 4-year-old girls from a Norwegian daycare centre (barnehagen). The early childhood educator's organisation of a mathematical activity through the telling of fairytales was recorded on video and subsequently transcribed for analysis. The study examines one single session.

Carlsen, M. (2013). Engaging with mathematics in the kindergarten. Orchestrating a fairy tale through questioning and use of tools. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 21 (4), 502-513