Historical Notes: Mathematical Landscapes

摘要

In the past few months I have been doing some research while designing workshops for children to be delivered at various events around the country, to generate more interest in mathematics through its history. How do you get young children to engage with mathematical stories and objects? My long-term experience tells me that children whose parents and other people in their immediate surroundings talk to them about mathematics do better at exploring mathematics and subsequently are better at school mathematics. The explanations for this phenomenon, as given in the literature on mathematics education, are varied, and include affective reasons and ample opportunities for learning, discussing and constructing mathematical knowledge outside the curriculum.