Exploring the Design of Play-Based Tasks That Support Children’s Participation in Mathematics

• In Event: Play, Motivation, and Engagement in Math Learning

Abstract

This paper investigates students’ mathematical engagement across five playful mathematical tasks in a Kindergarten class. These tasks were part of a geometry unit and a counting unit that were part of a broader longitudinal study about mathematical play in the early grades. Through qualitative coding and analysis of the ways students engaged in these tasks, this study reveals the significance of balancing student agency and mathematical constraints when designing playful mathematical tasks and choosing tools to support productive mathematical engagement.

Authors

• Madison Knowe, Vanderbilt University

• Melissa Sommerfeld Gresalfi, Vanderbilt University

• Amy Noelle Parks, Michigan State University