Abstract:

Integrating Mathematics in children's family contexts promotes their understanding of abstract ideas. In the early years, it is essential to awaken children to the numerous examples of mathematical representations surrounding them, encouraging the attribution of meaning to mathematical concepts, and strengthening an affective and close relationship between children and Mathematics.

Children's literature is a resource with enormous potential for the emergence of mathematical representations and for establishing an effective and affective relationship of children with Mathematics, as it promotes contexts close to the children’s reality that enhance emotions, creativity, and imagination.

In a session involving children attending the 3rd year of the 1st Cycle of Basic Education, in a Portuguese school, the researchers and authors of the book “From the Outside In and From the Inside Out” proposed the creation of illustrations of events, characters, emotions or objects from the story, using a triangular lattice. The present study focuses on the task proposed to those children guided by the following research questions: How can children's literature stimulate representations of mathematical ideas?; How do children perceive and feel the mathematical representations of events, characters, emotions, or objects in children's books?.

To answer these research questions, the following objectives were established:
(1) Identify story elements (text or images) to trigger mathematical ideas;
(2) analyze and interpret children's creativity in representing ideas and emotions through Mathematics.

Data analysis, based on children’s illustrations and researchers' direct observations, reveals that several mathematical concepts/ideas in the illustrations were applied in children’s production. The data also highlights the children's sensitivity and creativity in interpreting the story and expressing their ideas and emotions.

Keywords:

Mathematical representations, children’ literature, emotions, creativity.