Play-based mathematical activities at the ages of infancy: a case study at a nursery school.

The development of mathematical skills at the children’s first years of life is usually examined by psychologists. For the development of those skills the appropriate experiences are needed. The present case study, as part of a project, in the domain of mathematics education, examined the role of structured play – based activities on the development of infants’ (11 months to two years old) first mathematical experiences. We examined infants’ behaviour during the activities and their nursery teachers’ and parents’ respective behaviour. We asked their parents to share with us the daily activities with their children which they believed that were related with mathematics. Results indicated that usually play-based activities fulfil the infant’s interest and motivation to participate actively. Play and math can be a powerful and dynamic combination of learning with the contribution of nursery teachers and parents under an informal and nonformal framework. However, a comprehensive teaching model or a Curriculum will facilitate nursery teachers to develop and implement play – based activities in mathematics with higher self-efficacy beliefs and consequently they would be able to guide respectively the infants’ parents.