Adults’ designs of counting activities to implement with young children

Abstract This study concerns the promotion of preschool mathematics by adults with a positive disposition toward mathematics, none of whom were preschool educators. Participants were requested to plan activities that could promote young children’s verbal and object counting competencies. Analysis of those activities focused primarily on the playfulness of the activities and the types of questions adults planned to ask during the activity. Elements of playfulness used to characterize the activities were: physical movement, imaginative or make-believe situations, games, and affording children opportunities to make choices. Most participants sought to use readily available toys and games, but their activities were not very playful. Most participants planned to ask closed, rather than open-ended questions, and planned to intervene only in case of children showing difficulties. Findings show that adults need to be guided in how to promote mathematical engagement in an active and playful way.