Geometry in kindergarten: a pseudo-definition of circumference

Abstract

This paper deals with a teaching experiment concerning the notion of circumference in a geometrical context, conducted in kindergarten with children aged 4-5. Through a classroom-based intervention, designed according to the Semiotic Mediation theoretical framework and developed on a multimodal approach, children produce a “pseudo-definition of circumference” (Robotti, 2018), which still refers to perceptual elements linked to the shape, but where it is possible to identify the dynamic nature of the curve as a trace generated by the movement of a point. The analysis of the teaching experiment highlights the specific roles of the teacher and of artifacts in supporting the process of semiotic mediation through which the children and the teacher transform the signs linked to artifacts into mathematical signs.