Prime Time in Preschool Through Teacher-Guided Play with Rectangular Numbers

Abstract

In preschool, numbers and shapes typically appear as separate topics. This study explores how a game, designed as a guided play activity with figurate numbers, functions in a preschool context. The guided play involved parking Lego cars in a rectangular shape, and to find out for which number of Lego cars this is possible. Thirteen preschool children in three separate age groups, aged from four to six years, together with their teacher, participated in the study. Their communications through words and actions were recorded. The results exemplify how this guided play provides a rich context for engaging young children with mathematical activities such as counting, sorting, shaping, asking, justifying, and inferring, as well as emotional engagement with the activity.