Mathematics learning: Structured ways of moving with

Abstract

In this chapter, we explore the nature of embodiment in mathematical activity, a discipline that is often associated with abstract, static and disembodied thought. We highlight some of the small but fundamental ways in which the body intervenes in a range of mathematical contexts-from counting to calculating in arithmetic, but also in algebra and geometry-as well as the role that tools play in structuring these bodily actions in mathematically specific ways. We argue that mathematical activity arises in body-tool operational templates.