ABSTRACT
The knowledge which young children draw upon and which they exploit in their transactions within the social and physical world is learned through and mediated by their interactions with other and more experienced members of their culture. In fact, early mathematics is not only derived from social communicative contexts but is itself a form of discourse, as noted in Chapter 3. Like language development, in the early stages, learning mathematics is a process of being supported by an adult into a particular form of discourse which embodies its own sequence of development, moving from a grounding in practical and social contexts towards a more symbolic and abstract system. Wells (1985) noted language provides the medium of instruction and the chief means through which learning is assessed. As such the study of classroom language justifies the serious attention of anyone investigating educational settings and, in Phase 3 and 4 of the project, provided the main focus for investigation.
