“2000 has lots of nothing”. The language of numbers in the transition to school

Abstract

Language is the tool that allows humans to transcend the limitations of our innate number knowledge and develop a quantitative literacy that enables us to learn the mathematical knowledge particular to our culture. While there are many variables that affect the development of early number sense, language is the most critical. Having wide and varied pre-academic language experiences of numbers and number words has a significant impact on the development of a child’s number sense and is advantageous for the young learner entering formal schooling. Early number knowledge is acknowledged as a predictor of future academic success, if not life-long success. With the increasing number of children attending early childhood care and education facilities, the quality of early numeracy programmes and the successful transition to formal schooling are areas of education that are coming under closer public scrutiny. This research study examined how children experienced the language of number words and numerical concepts during the transition from kindergarten to school. The research was grounded in educational research and ethnographic methodologies and used interpretivist methods to gather authentic and reliable data. The setting was a kindergarten and Year One classroom and data were collected over the course of one kindergarten and school term. The participants were 46 four and five year old students and 10 teachers. From this, a case study was developed that focused on the number language children experienced as they transitioned from kindergarten to school. The findings showed that the children experienced number words in different contexts from kindergarten to school, which in turn affected the numerical language and vocabulary they experienced. A range of different strategies could be developed to support a shared landscape of numerical language and experiences, which would support children’s transition experiences. Young children would then have the opportunity to advance their foundational number sense quickly and independently, setting them up for future academic and lifelong success.