Exploring code switching in early number sense activities

Previous research indicated that teachers have a fundamental role in teaching the proper language of mathematics, also known as the mathematics register (Pimm, 1978). However, little is known about how educators use language to communicate and mediate mathematics during the early years of schooling. This multiple case study explored three educators’ use of languge as they taught number sense in their classrooms, as well as their views and understanding of mathematics education. During a month spent collecting data at each of the three sites, the preschool, kindergarten, and grade 1 educators were involved in an initial interview, five videotaped teaching sessions, and a recall interview after the video sessions. Discourse analysis was utilized to explore language use (Gee, 2014). Findings indicate that educators code switched to the mathematics register (a) when they talked about numbers, number words and counting; (b) to revoice students’ ideas; (c) to explain student and teacher actions; (d) to provide new math information; and (e) when they chose between two terms that belonged to the math register. Findings also demonstrated that educators viewed the language of mathematics as an outside entity and that they preferred to avoid the use of the mathematics’ register, and relied instead on protoquantitative terms, everyday terms, and words that denoted action to communicate and mediate mathematics to young students