Figuring Math: From Knowledge to Agency in a Bilingual Early Childhood Classroom

• In Event: Roundtable Session 25
  In Roundtable Session: Bilingual Learners, Languaging, and Mathematics

Abstract

Donald Trump’s comments about Mexicans during his presidential announcement speech not only sparked a nationwide uproar, but also highlighted some public perceptions connected to the Latina/o community. Within this reality, public scholarship and education research play a fundamental role in the support and promotion of discourses and teaching practices that can balance misguided perceptions and educate diverse democracies. With this in mind, this paper analyzes the teaching practices of an early childhood bilingual educator who uses language and early mathematics as vehicles for young emergent bilinguals to develop agency. We make suggestions for educators to consider how they see emergent bilinguals in their classrooms and their own roles in the counteraction or reproduction of public discourses through their teaching practices.

Authors

• Giselle Del Carmen Martinez Negrette, University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Anne Karabon, University of Wisconsin - Madison