Eric.ed.gov – Embodiment in Teaching and Learning Early Counting: Grounding Metaphors

This paper contributes to the theory and evidence that mathematical cognition is embodied. Drawing on the practices of primary teachers in South Africa engaged in a longitudinal research and development project — Wits Maths Connect–Primary — we report on aspects of lessons aimed at developing number sense through whole-class teacher-learner interaction. Two episodes are analysed from an embodied cognition perspective. The episodes focus on helping Grade 1 (6-year-olds) learners become fluent in counting forward and back or ordering numbers. Analysis reveals different embodied metaphors underlie the teachers’ actions, the nature of which are likely to lead to different learning opportunities. We conclude that our analysis supports a theory of embodied cognition, and demonstrates its usefulness as an analytical tool. [For the complete proceedings, see ED597799.]