Observing the Use of Gestures in Young Children’s Geometric Thinking

Abstract

This chapter addresses children’s geometry thinking and learning in early childhood with a focus on the use of gestures. The chapter begins with the theoretical frameworks which underlie this work and some background information about geometry learning and gestures. The next parts of the chapter aim to give insight into the role of gestures in young children’s geometric thinking in different contexts. Specifically, three case studies are discussed which investigated different aspects of geometry understanding: two-dimensional shapes, composition and transformations of two-dimensional shapes and spatial concepts. Finally, a number of concluding remarks are discussed about the multiple uses and contributions of gestures in association with other semiotic resources in the evolution and communication of early understanding of shapes and space.