HOW AND WHEN TO INTRODUCE METHODS OF ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION OPERATIONS?

Abstract

We will see in this essay that the origin of the operations of addition and subtraction in children is conditioned to the actions of adding and taking which are developed in a process of mental construction of the logical-mathematical patterns of transformation of discreet amounts and according to Piaget´s scheme part-all. These operations are fundamental in all the mathematical constructions of arithmetic and they are an object of study of many researches on child psychology and mathematical education. Our work is innovating in the way we tackle addition and subtraction in child education. It is a question of searching in the logical-mathematical patterns underlying the construction of these arithmetical operations by the little child, in order to get to the quantifications of the actions of adding and taking, with the consequent determination of numerical relations and conceptualization of the operations. All this will contribute to elaborate an appropriate didactic of addition and subtraction for three to six years old school children, considering their capacity and everyday situations that imply quantitative transformations and the inclusion of classes.