“Ohhh, Now I Can Do It!”: School-age Children’s Spontaneous Mathematical Sensemaking in Construction Play

Abstract

This analysis joins together two lines of work: mathematical problem solving and children’s construction play as a resource for mathematics learning. Our study is motivated by two observations. First, play has characteristics reminiscent of professional mathematicians’ practice. Second, the child-centeredness of play points to possibilities for equitable mathematics instruction. We conceptualize problem solving in construction play as the process children engage in when they experience trouble accomplishing a goal and work to repair it. To examine this phenomenon, we used head-mounted GoPros to collect 348 point-of-view videos of children as they played in a mathematical playground, where “messing around” with designed objects provided them with opportunities to encounter mathematical concepts. Through a close examination of one case, we illustrate the mathematical generativity of play with the designed objects and argue that children’s construction play can support rich opportunities for children’s mathematical sensemaking.