The Appearance of Playfulness in Swedish Preschool Class Mathematics Teaching

This paper reports on an investigation of how playfulness and mathematics as a content for learning appear in mathematics teaching about numbers with six-year-olds in Sweden. A total of 81 observations of teaching activities are qualitatively analyzed, resulting in three appearances: mathematical content as the primary task; exploring the mathematical content in a relevant context; and the mathematical task situated in a playful context. These entail different opportunities for the six-year-olds to experience meaningful mathematics. The paper discusses the significance of playfulness as a feature of mathematics teaching in early education, and particularly brings to the fore nuances in different ways of making playfulness an asset in teaching.